


Keep in Check (Please)

by IprotectKennyP (dauntperplexity)



Series: Second Verse Same as the First (Hockey Style Ten Times Worse) [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Adolescent Sexuality, Alternate Reality, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, F/M, Kent Parson-centric, M/M, Minor Violence, Multi, Parallel Universes, Slow Build, teenage sex, the Q
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 12:47:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 103,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7618624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dauntperplexity/pseuds/IprotectKennyP
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“This could’ve easily been you, Zimms. You could’ve been the one to OD before the draft. You could’ve gone to Samwell. You could’ve taken the long way to get to the NHL.”</p><p>Or, Kent’s and Jack’s roles are reversed and Jack goes straight to the NHL and Kent somehow ends up at Samwell. </p><p>The story begins with a draft.</p><p>Part 1: Jack and Kent and the Q.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story started out as a simple 'What if' and turned into a monster of a fic. If you've ever spent any time in the omgcp chatroom, you may have seen me write or rant about this story from time to time.
> 
> The first chapter is finally here.
> 
> The tags and warnings will be updated as the story moves along. There will be a variety of ships in this story and there will be some sexual situations. I will warn at the beginning of each chapter when it will happen. 
> 
> I try to respond to every comment.
> 
> Enjoy, homies!

The first sign Kent received juniors scouts were looking at him was the day of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.

He had finished his shower after spending his day at the local rink and heard his mom talking on the phone. Her voice sounded the way it did whenever she tried to talk through a smile. 

Good news, then. 

He lingered just outside the kitchen to avoid overhearing something that probably wasn’t for him. He figured it was a call from her work since it was either Daniella or Cadence who usually called that late at night. Maybe another show wanted to showcase her shop.

“We’ll call you back and let you know,” she said.

Once his mom hung up, it was safe to step into the kitchen. “Who was that?” Kent asked after her mom put the phone back on the receiver. He looked through the fridge for something to drink and settled on apple juice. 

A lifetime passed before his mom spoke up. 

“Baby, you were drafted.”

Kent tightened his grip on the juice bottle so he didn’t drop it. He turned and looked at his mom. “You… I…  drafted by what?” It could have meant two things, and neither of them made sense for him. 

Lydia made her way over and closed the fridge. With a smile she cupped her son’s cheeks with both of her hands. “Baby, you got drafted by Rimouski Océanic. If you want, you can play in the Q.”

Kent and the world stopped. 

He and his teammates always talked about going to play in the Q, but playing in the league and at such a high level was never an option to Kent because of his size. For most of his life, everyone told him he was too small to be a hockey player, but he was ready to prove them all wrong. He was going to play hockey and be damn good at it. He had speed, had good hands, and he had a good hockey mind. He was willing to work harder than everyone to be one of the best.

Someone noticed.

And, now, the same team that Sidney Crosby played for had drafted him.

With that thought in mind, the world rushed back into focus. “I… oh.”

Lydia pulled her son’s head down so she could kiss him on his forehead. “I’m so proud of you, baby,” she said with the biggest smile she could muster. She took the juice from Kent's hand, opened it, and gave it back to him. “You don’t have to decide now. They said they’re sending someone to come and talk to us in a few days.”

Kent took a sip of his juice because he needed a moment to begin processing everything. “Do you know who?” he asked. His mom shook her head, but smirked a familiar smirk. His mom was keeping something from him.

They ate dinner and went on with the rest of the night as if a big decision didn’t loom over their heads. 

He didn’t mention the draft to his friends, but, by the way they treated him, they had heard about it. They acted like they didn’t know how to talk to or play with him anymore. Only after he called them on it did things almost go back to normal. 

He didn’t want anyone to make a big fuss because he had not made a decision. He wasn’t going to until after talking with whomever the team sent.

Even without talking to anyone, Kent had reservations. He loved hockey, but, at the same time, he was worried that he wasn’t ready to make such a big jump from his Midget Minor team to Rimouski. His decision had to be made soon.

By the end of the summer, he could be playing in the Q.

Three days after the draft, he entered his house and heard his mom talking to someone with a distinctly Canadian accent. Since the man’s back was to him, Kent could only guess his identity. Once the conversation died down, Kent made his presence known with a soft tap on the wall. “Mom?” he said just as soft as as the tap while he set his gear by the door.

Lydia looked up and smiled. “Hey, baby,” she said, waving him over.

Kent hesitated before walking over to the dining area. His mom was smiling and she didn’t look like she was about to stop any time soon. Kent moved his gaze and saw the man drinking from his favorite mug. Kent took another step forward, stopping when the their guest made a move to turn around. When the man finally turned far enough around that Kent could see the stranger’s face his blood ran cold.

Bad. Bob. Zimmermann.

Kent dug his nails into his palms to ground him and keep himself from fainting. The legend was sitting in his dining room and drinking from the same mug he drank hot cocoa from every winter. “H-hi,” he said the second he found his voice. He exhaled and relaxed his hand. It hurt. This was real. “Mr. Zimmermann. It’s… an honor.”

Bob smiled and nodded. “Why don’t you have a seat, son.”

Kent moved, not even giving a second thought to the fact he was just invited to sit at his own dining table. By a hockey legend. “What… what are you doing here?” he asked.

“Rimouski sent me,” Bob said with a smile. “It sounds a bit cheap. Use a Stanley Cup winner to convince a hockey player to join the team. It may have been because I was the closest. I could’ve said no, but I wanted to come and talk to you.” 

Kent wore a confused expression on his face. Bad Bob wanted to talk to him? “Uh… that’s cool. Why you?” What connection did Bad Bob Zimmermann have to Rimouski Océanic? What did proximity to him matter?

“Rimouski drafted my son in the first round,” he replied. He took another sip of whatever was in his mug. “I knew Jack was going to them for a long time. I spent the last few weeks watching tape of other draft possibilities… you when they said that you were on their list. It was a hectic and I know you didn’t get a a call from anyone until it was over.”

“Is that normal?” Lydia asked as she refilled his mug with tea.

“The team had Kent on their list for a long time,” Bob said. “They weren’t expecting their other picks to be chosen by other teams. By the fourth round, your name was up.” He saw saw Kent just staring without saying a thing. “You didn’t realize your name could be called?”

“I… Coach Asmundson said it could be possible. But… I didn’t… think too much about it?” He knew the odds of someone from the states being chosen to play in the Q, but to think that he had beaten them? He didn’t think his name would be called for any sort of draft until the end of his growth spurt. Even after that spurt, once he was in the league, he would be playing with and against other players who had been playing at such a high caliber for most of their lives. How would he keep up?

“Well, Coach Gallagher is very excited to work with you. I know this happened so quickly, but do you think you would be willing to come and play for Rimouski?”

And that request was definitely unfair. One of his hockey idols was asking him to play hockey for a team that another one of his idols played for. How could Kent deny a request of one of his favorite players?

Playing in the Q would guarantee that hockey would be a part of his future. 

Everything would change from school, to friends, to America, and more.

He didn’t mind leaving his school and friends. He would make new friends in Canada. He would be back during the summer to hang out and catch up. Facebook was a thing he could use to keep in contact whenever he had the chance. He wouldn’t have much free time anyway between the hockey, and travel, and school, and sleeping. 

Although he was willing to leave his school and friends, he was not willing to leave his mother.

One look at her and Kent knew that she was more than enough reason to stay. He turned his attention from his mom to Bad Bob and told him that he needed another day or two to make a decision. Bad Bob completely understood.

After politely turning down a dinner invitation and giving Lydia numbers to reach him and the coaches, Bad Bob left the Parsons.

Lydia walked over to her son and kissed him on his forehead. She knew Kent was starstruck from the way he still stared at the door. She knew all her son’s favorite players and Bob Zimmermann was in his top five. It would take him another moment or two to bring him back. 

“Breathe, baby,” she said with a laugh. She brushed his hair back and looked into his eyes when he tore his gaze from the door. “<< _You okay? >>_”

Hearing his mom speak French in her soothing tone calmed him enough for him to speak. “That really happened, right?” Kent said. “That was… he was… was Bad Bob really drinking out of my mug?”

She brushed her hair back one last time and kissed her son on his cheek. “Go shower up. I’ll get started on dinner. No talk of what just happened until after dinner, okay?”

“But—“

“Baby. Go shower. I’m making your favorite. Then we’ll figure this all out.”

His mom spoke with her “no arguing or I’ll cut down your rink time” tone and Kent head straight to the bathroom. He put himself on autopilot as he stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the shower. He brought the water up to the perfect temperature and stood under the spray. He intended on staying in the shower a lot longer than usual.

In the days since the draft, he kept the fact that he was chosen at the back of his thoughts. He still went through his summer routine. He woke up, met up with his friends, then spent most of his day at the rink either playing pick up games or chasing little kids around as they learned to skate.

He was living his life avoiding having to make a huge decision. 

Bad Bob showing up at his house made the entire draft real and brought the thoughts to the forefront.

A decision needed to be made. And sooner than he wanted.

A knock on the bathroom door jolted him from his thoughts. “Coming!” he called. He shut off the water, got out, dried off, and dressed in his usual nightwear.

Kent stepping into the kitchen and went straight to the cupboards to grab plates for both of them. While the food finished up in the oven, Kent grabbed the salad bowl and put a simple salad together.

He sliced up the bread his mom set out to cool and plated it before pulling the lasagna out of the oven. He looked over his shoulder and saw his mom pull out some white wine along with two glasses. “Mom?” he asked.

“We’re celebrating, baby.”

Kent groaned. “Mom… you said—”

“Hush, baby,” she said. “Go plate your salad and bread and we’ll eat on the couch tonight.” 

Kent smiled as his mom poured them two large glasses of wine. He served up the salad and bread before plating slices of chicken alfredo lasagna for the both of them. He carried their plates to the couch and waited for his mom before he sat down.

She set down their utensils before handing Kent a glass and clinking it. “To you, baby.”

“Mom…”

“Sip your wine.”

Kent took a sip, then set the glass down. He grabbed the remote and settled on a movie that they both had seen a hundred times. He didn’t want to think too hard about anything during dinner. He stayed quiet as he ate even though he wanted nothing more than to talk about Bad Bob and playing in the Q.

But he did promise his mom that he would wait until after dinner.

As soon as they finished, Kent grabbed the dishes, washed them, and packed up the leftovers. He sat back down with his mom who was holding his wine glass out to him. “So, are we talking now?” he asked, sitting down and taking a sip.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. But I know you want to.”

“I have to decide tonight? I have to say yes, right?” Kent asked.

“You have time. You can say no.”

“Should I say no?”

“Do you want to?”

Kent didn’t, but that wasn’t what he said. “I don’t know.” 

“What’s holding you back, baby?” It had been Kent’s dream for so long to play hockey. Her son should have been jumping at the opportunity to play at such a high caliber for his age. 

It took a few minutes before Kent finally replied. “This is all happening way too fast,” he said softly. “I don’t know… how to handle it?”

“You’ll be fine, Kent,” Lydia said. She brushed her fingers through her son’s hair to try and smooth it out. Unless gel or mousse was involved, it was always a complete waste of time. “And that can’t be it. You’re used to going fast. So, what’s the real reason.”

Kent hated how easily his mom could read him. Just one look and she knew everything that was going on in his head from school, to boys and girls, to hockey. It was beneficial to their relationship. He never kept anything from her. She was one of his best friends.

Still, his mom was right. He had a thousand reasons to go, but only a handful of legitimate reasons to stay. “Where would I live? And school? And can we afford it?”

Lydia fondly rolled her eyes. “That’s not your job to worry about things like that. I am the adult in this relationship.” She reached over and took her son’s chin in her hand so he couldn’t look away. “And I know you aren’t really worried about any of that. So, what is it, baby?”

Kent sighed softly. He brought his wine glass to his lips and took a long gulp. He then looked at his mom and his cheeks turned pink and warm from the alcohol, or so Kent would say if prompted. “I… I don’t know if I can leave you,” he said. “It’s been you and me for forever and I don’t… know. You can’t leave because of the shop, and then you’ll be alone…”

Lydia furrowed her brow then took her and Kent’s wine glasses to set them on the coffee table. She teared up at her son’s admission. “That just means you’ll know where to find me, baby. I’ll be here, but I’ll always be a phone call and a plane ride away. Do not worry about me.” She blinked a few times, causing the tears to fall down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away, hating that her son had to see her cry. “This is your dream.”

“Mom…”

“Baby," she said, her voice shaking. “You are a hockey player. I know deep down that you are. And so do you. I’m telling you that if you want to do this, you can.” She wiped more tears from her cheeks. She blamed it on the wine and not the fact that her baby boy was growing up and possibly moving away for who knows how long.

“I… I just wanna play hockey.” It sounded like Kent had made his decision. “But I don’t know if I can play it away from you.”

“Kent Valeray Parson. Of course you can play away from me.” Lydia kissed her son on his forehead. “This is the best for you. Please don’t worry about me.” More tears fell as she thought of how selfless her son was worrying more about her than himself. But that was Kent.

“I’m always gonna worry about you, mom.”

Lydia knew her son would always be that way. “I want you to think about this, baby. Really think about this. If you want my opinion, you know exactly what I’m going to tell you.”

“That this is an opportunity. And that I’ll be crazy not to at least try.”

“Your words, not mine.”

“I’m pretty damn smart, then,” Kent said with a laugh. He looked up in time to see his mom roll her eyes. “Thanks, mom.”

“You’re welcome,” Lydia said as she leaned over to grab the glasses again. It had enough wine for one more cheers. She handed Kent his glass, then clinked them together. “To us, baby.”

“To us,” Kent said, then finished off his glass as his mother did the same to her own.

“I’m gonna refill us. Then, we’re going to sit on this couch and marathon some movies.”

“I’ll put in another one.”

The two of them finished off the bottle of wine and retired to bed after the third movie ended.

He slept well that night. He did his best to keep to his normal routine, wake up, eat, rink, eat, rink, home, eat, sleep. But every night after Bad Bob’s visit, Kent would stay up late weighing his options.

Every time he returned home, his mom was on the the phone either with the Rimouski coaches, Bad Bob, or someone else that was going to help him while he was in Canada. Every day, he withheld his answer. He had made his decision a dozen times, but then he would see his mom and he’d hesitate.

Especially when he would see her tearing up whenever she hung up the phone. The conversations made it all real for her too. If he said yes, she would be all alone in their home. 

Kent hated seeing his mom cry, or anything close to it. The last time he could remember her crying or tearing up this often was after his dad died. Some of her tears since then had been tears of happiness. Kent couldn’t tell if these were tears of sadness or of happiness most days. He wanted them to be happy tears because as long as his mom was happy, he was happy.

A week and a half later, Kent made his decision.

He was going to play in the Q.

His mom cried, but she told him that this was the best thing for him if he was serious about hockey. She would not let him choose not to go because he didn’t want to leave her. Even all Kent’s “worries” about housing arrangements, homeschooling, and money were put to rest one by one. 

Of course his mom had all the answers. She called her sister, who was roommates with someone who married a hockey player in Canada. Apparently his Aunt Lucille had roomed with Bad Bob Zimmermann’s future wife back in college. Which made Kent wonder why hadn’t his aunt told him about that sooner?

His mom was able to sort through everything within a few weeks.

After his seventeenth birthday, his life went from zero to 110 so quickly that he almost got whiplash. Every night, he would lay in bed and wait for it all to just slow down or just stop for a minute so he could catch his breath. It didn’t because he had too much to do before he left. He was Confirmed. He was three badges away from becoming an Eagle Scout. He almost got his license. And he lost and found and lost and found his passport.

His mom said he was doing it on purpose.

The day before he was supposed to fly out, Kent was one word away from going back on his agreement. The decision to just stay home and play hockey in New York became more and more appealing. Before he could say anything, his mom looked at him with an expression that dared him to tell her that he didn’t want to leave. 

“But… mom.”

“I’ll be fine, sweetie,” Lydia said with a smile knowing his reservations came from her. Ever since her husband died Kent had taken it upon himself to always make sure that she was all right and happy. She tried to take that responsibility from him, but her son was stubborn. And caring. And selfless. “Hockey makes you so happy, baby. You can do so much more with it there than you can here. Your dreams are allowed to come first.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“You have a cell phone. We can video chat every night. Stop making excuses, baby. I’ll be fine without you.”

Kent felt his heart stop and his blood run cold. He quickly shook it off before his mom could notice. “That’s exactly what someone wants to hear, mom,” he said, rolling his eyes so his mom wouldn’t see just how affected he was by what she said. “Can we really do this?”

“Of course we can, baby. We’ve handled far worse than this.”

They had. This moment could not even compare to what the two of them had gone through years ago. 

But they had each other throughout all of it. They would have to go through this separated and on their own.

Kent tried not to imagine his mom all alone in their home while he was away.

Then it hit him.

This could be the last time they would actually be living together. If he became good enough, he could make the jump from the Q to the NHL. From there, he would end up anywhere in the states or Canada.

Eventually, he would grow up and live away from his mom, but he expected it to happen after he was an adult. Not right after he turned seventeen and still in high school.

His throat tightened, but he forced himself to speak through it. “I don’t even speak French. Well, except for the swear words,” Kent said. He grinned to reassure his mom. It sounded like a last ditch effort to convince her to let him stay, but the decision had been made. He was leaving.

Lydia rolled her eyes and kissed her son on his cheek. “Come on, it’s your last day. Whatever you want to do we’ll do. If you want to go out with your friends, go ahead. But remember you have an early flight tomorrow.”

They stayed in the entire day because there was no way he was spending his last day in New York with his anyone but his mom.

At the airport the next morning, Lydia gave Kent his first credit card to use only for emergencies. She also gave him his dad’s dog tags that he put on the same chain as his Saint Christopher medal. He tucked it under his shirt and stared at his mom. “Do I really have to go?” His eyes had welled up, but the tears had yet to fall.

“Yes,” she said, handing Kent his passport. “I love you. You’re going to do great things.” She pulled him close and hugged him so tightly there was a temptation to not let go. She kissed him on his cheek then stepped back in time for the first tears to fall from her and Kent. “Call me as soon as you can, okay?”

“I will.” Kent gathered his things, hugged his mom one more time, then made his way through security. 

Hours later he was on a plane to Canada. Alone.

Two hours after that, he met the Zimmermanns and their son at baggage claim.

“Welcome to Canada,” Alicia said, walking over and hugging Kent.

Kent hugged her back and tried not to compare how she and his mother hugged. “Hello, Mrs. Zimmermann.” Once she let go, Kent held his hand out and smiled at the firm handshake he received from Bad Bob. “Mr. Zimmermann.”

“Welcome,” Bob said. He let go of Kent’s hand and stepped to the side. “This is our son, Jack.”

Kent looked at the young man. He was a carbon copy of his dad, except for his mom’s bright blue eyes. Kent could not deny how handsome Jack already was. In a few years, Jack would be damn good looking. And Jack looked like he was already kicking ass on the ice. If Rimouski already had the son of a hockey legend who looked like he was training to be the next Sidney Crosby on the team, what more could Kent bring? “Nice to meet you.”

“You’re small,” Jack said.

“Jack,” Alicia admonished.

“So, are you taking me to meet my host family, or whatever?” Kent asked. He overheard his mom talking to Bob and Alicia about where he would be staying while he was in Canada. None of the information was ever relayed to him. His mom said he’d take care of it, and Kent trusted that she did.

“Did you not tell him?” Alicia asked her husband.

“I thought you did,” Bob replied. The two of them spent a lot of time talking with Lydia about what Kent’s situation would be once he arrived in Canada. He figured between the three of them at least one person would have told Kent about what they came up with. Apparently not.

“You’ll be staying with us for now,” Alicia said.

Kent’s eyes widened. “Oh,” he said. So, not only did Bad Bob come down to New York to recruit him to play for Rimouski, but now he’d be living with the Zimmermanns? Just how lucky was he? “Um… thank you. I don’t know what to say.”

“You already said what you needed to, Kent. Come on. Let’s get you you something to eat, then you can get settled in.” Bob took one of Kent’s bags while Jack took the other. Kent adjusted his backpack and held onto his carry on, then followed the three of them to their car. After he loaded his things, he climbed into the backseat behind Mrs. Zimmermann.

“Do you need to buy anything?” Alicia asked.

“Uh… I don’t think so,” Kent asked. He was still stuck on the news that he was going to be living with Bob Zimmermann and his family. At least until they made their way closer Rimouski. “I just brought clothes. My laptop.” His stuffed animal that went everywhere with him. “Other things. Mom gave me a card and I thought I’d have to buy like bed stuff. Food things, maybe?” He had no idea.

“Oh, Kent. You don’t have to buy anything. We already set something up with your mother for this.” Alicia looked back and smiled. “All we want you to worry about is school and hockey.”

“Jack will show you around and introduce you to the team when we head to Rimoulski.”

Kent looked over at Jack who looked uneasy and unhappy about the situation. Jack hadn’t looked at him since they get into the car. There was no way Jack was in the dark like he had been. “Thanks.”

“<<He’s so small. How is he supposed to help us?>>”

“<<You didn’t see him play, Jack. It will be good for you to play with him.>>”

“<<But why does he have to live with us? He could stay with another family.>>”

“<<We told his mother that we would look after him.>>”

“<<Look at him, dad. There isn’t anything he could add to the team.>>”

“<<Be nice. If your father says he’s a good player, you should listen to him.>>”

“<<He’s still small.>>”

Kent sat quietly and listened to the three of them speak French. And not the French he was used to hearing at home. Everything told him that they were talking about him. Perfect. Just perfect.

“Are you hungry, Kent?”

“I could use something to eat.”

“He needs to eat more protein.”

“I… okay.” Kent glared at Jack talking about him like he wasn’t sitting a foot away from him.

“Jack,” Alicia said. 

From the moment the two of them told Jack about Kent, Jack made it known how much he wasn’t completely on board with this. They had made the decision after speaking with him, but he had to agree to live with a boy he hadn’t met. Even though Jack had many reservations, he trusted that his parents were making the best decision for the team. 

“Do you want anything in particular, Kent?” Bob asked.

His bed. His guitar. His mom. “No, sir,” he said. “I’m cool with whatever.”

“Why don’t we just go home and make something to eat? You must be exhausted after such an early flight.”

“That sounds nice, Mrs. Zimmermann.” 

Then he fell silent.

From having to wake up early, to seeing his room for the last time for a couple of months, to having to say goodbye to his mom through his tears, to sitting on a plane and having no idea what was to come, he was emotionally drained. Kent was ready to pass out and not wake up for a couple of days. But only after food.

Kent’s eyes widened when they pulled up to a huge house. A freaking mansion. Of course they’d live in a mansion. The garage alone looked bigger than his house. “Holy shit,” he whispered. As soon as he said it, he looked at Mr. and Mrs. Zimmermann. He forgot that he was in a car with an award winning actress and one of the most badass hockey players to ever grace the ice. And he just swore in front of them. “I’m so sorry,” he said quickly.

He looked over at Jack when he thought he heard him laugh. Jack’s face was neutral.

Bob did laugh though. “Don’t worry. It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve heard it.” He unbuckled his belt and opened the door. “Jack. Get his bags and show him his room. Your mother and I will get started on lunch.”

Between the two of them, they were able to grab all his things from the car.

“Follow me,” Jack said when his parents went to the kitchen. He walked up the stairs and down the hallway to what was now Kent’s room for however long they stayed in Montreal. He opened the door and looked it over. It was plain. Bed made. A desk. Drawers. Kent had room to add what he wanted. “So. Here you go,” he said, dropping his bag on the floor.

Kent frowned and glared at how Jack had treated his things. As frustrating as it was, he wasn’t going to make a scene. He didn’t have the energy. Besides, Jack’s parents had agreed to let him stay with them while he played. He had to be grateful, right? “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” Jack said. “Whatever.” 

Kent put his bag on the bed and turned to find Jack watching him. Awkward was the best way to describe both Jack and the situation. They stared at each other for far too long before Kent gave up on the silence and broke eye contact. “You don’t want me here,” he said.

“I did not say that,” Jack said, crossing his arms over his chest. Even if he didn’t say it, the thought did cross his mind a few times. 

“No, but you’re looking at me like I’m some adopted kid here to steal your parents, or something. I’m just here to play hockey.”

“So my dad said.”

“Hey, he came to recruit me,” Kent said, a bit more defensively than he intended. But it was true. Kent would not have minded staying in New York to play. The Q was a great opportunity, but considering the round he was drafted and his size, he wasn’t even sure if he’d get any playing time. Even with all those factors against him, Bad Bob Zimmermann still made the trip to speak with him. That had to mean something.

“<<I don’t understand why he did that. You’re too small to be a hockey player.>>”

“See, you’re gonna have to stop that,” Kent said with a growl. The language would eventually come to him, but with Jack continuing to speak it when he knew Kent didn’t understand a word irritated him.

“You’re going to have to learn French,” Jack countered. He wanted to play hockey. The last thing he wanted was to be this newcomer’s translator.

“Well, I’m not gonna learn it today.”

Jack sighed, dragging his hand down his face, needing to calm down. While he was use to playing away from his family in another country, this was new for the other boy. He had to be a little sympathetic to his new teammate. “My dad said that you could help. He was actually really excited when you agreed to come and play. When it comes to hockey, he is the one I trust most when it comes to making decisions like this one. If he says you can help me… the team, then I believe him.”

Kent frowned when he noticed the slip. If it was a slip. “So, what. I’m just here to prop you up or something?”

“I haven’t seen you play. You might as well be at this point.”

Kent felt angry enough to scream. “You know what, screw you,” he said rather loudly. “You think this is easy? I—” He stopped himself from going off on a rant. He was going through a range of emotions and even though Jack was not making the transition any easier it was unfair to take it out on him. He hadn’t been away from home long, but he already missed everything. “I just want to play hockey, okay? And we’re rookies on the same team. If we’re going to be playing together, you’re going to have to start liking me. Especially since we’re living together.”

“I will do no such thing,” Jack said. Their relationship would be hockey based and that was it.

“Jesus, you’re stubborn. We’ll get along great.”

Jack looked ready to say something else, but was interrupted when his mom called from downstairs.

“Boys! Lunch!”

Kent expected Jack to take the opportunity to leave, but he stayed in the doorway. “I’m gonna call my mom. Then I’ll be down,” he said. 

Hearing his mom’s voice would be enough for him to gather himself. 

As soon as the door shut, he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his phone out of his bag. He turned it on for the first time since he landed and smiled when he saw his background picture of him and his mom and dad light up. The happiness lasted only a moment before he felt sad again.

Most teenagers his age would kill to be away from their parents, but his mom was his one constant in his life. He stared at his phone until the screen shut off.

He pushed a few buttons and held the phone to his ear. He let out a sigh of relief when she answered within two rings. “Hey, mom.”

“Kent,” she said, surprised. “Hey, baby. You landed already?”

“Yeah. Got all my stuff. I’m actually at the Zimmermanns.” Still shocking for him to say. He was living with the Zimmermanns. His mom knew and didn’t even mention it.

“Oh. Good. I’m glad you got there safe.”

Kent smiled and let out a laugh. Of course his mom didn’t recognize the bit of snark in his voice. He blamed it on her being busy at work. “By the way, thanks for telling me about my living situation.” He added a little more to his sarcasm this time.

“You’re welcome,” Lydia said. “Temper the chocolate first!”

Kent laughed. Poor Cadence. His hockey coaches were nothing compared to his mom in her kitchen. He waited for it to quiet down on her end. “No, mom. That was sarcasm. As in, you didn’t tell me anything about my living situation.”

“Baby, we talked about this.”

Maybe it was a little unfair his mom was distracted at work, but sometimes he didn’t play fair. “Yes. We talked about it. But all you told me was that we figured it out. I hope you realize I was not included in this ‘we’.”

“Oh,” Lydia said when what Kent said dawned on her. “Surprise?”

“You could’ve told me I was gonna be living with Bad Bob Zimmermann and his family. How do you forget to mention that?”

“Baby, they’re just a stop over. You’ll be living with another billet family during the season. But you’ll be seeing the Zimmermanns a lot too. Bob and Alicia said they’d check on you as much as they could.”

Bob and Alicia? His mom was on a first name basis with the Zimmermanns. “Mom.”

“I know, baby.”

“I miss you,” he said softly.

“I miss you too, baby. But, how are you settling in?”

“Haven’t really had the time to do that just yet. We just got home. Their home. To their home.” This place wasn’t his home. His mom wasn’t there. His mom needed to be there for this place to even be considered home. “They want to feed me.”

“So, you’ve met the family, then?”

“Mrs. Zimmermann is amazing. She’s an Oscar winner, mom.” He was starstruck in a different way than he was with Bad Bob. It wasn’t like he hadn’t met famous stars or athletes before; every time he was in his mom’s shop there was always a celebrity or two there for some of her famous pastries and chocolates. Those interactions only lasted minutes, but, now, he would be living with two famous people.

“And their son?”

Kent let out a huff. “To be determined.”

“Baby,” Lydia said.

“I should’ve actually tried to learn all the French you tried to teach me.”

“You’ll be fine.” There was a loud clang and an apology in the distance. “I have to get back. Go eat something, okay? I’ll send a box up to you this weekend.”

“Mom,” Kent said. “You don’t—”

“Don’t you dare say I don’t have to. My baby needs his snacks.”

Kent sighed, but smiled. He did love everything his mom made for him. “Thanks, mom. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. I have to go. Call me later, yeah?”

“I’ll call you later.” Then the call disconnected.

He plopped back down, staring up at the ceiling. He had to get up soon since the Zimmermanns were probably waiting for him. He pushed a button on his screen to look at his family once more, focusing on his mom and dad. He reached for his chain around his neck, pulled the tags and medal out, pressing everything to his lips, then tucking it all back under his shirt. He dragged his hand down his face and sat up. “I got this,” he whispered, tossing the phone onto a pillow before standing up. “Yeah. I got this.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a small change in chapter 1 regarding Kent's school situation. It's not an important detail, right now, but I did want you all to know.

After a week of what Kent called adjusting and Jack called slacking off, the two of them were put on an unofficial schedule. 

That Jack made. 

Because Jack Zimmermann ate, slept, lived, breathed, and every other verbed hockey.

Unfortunately, Jack never gave Kent any sign what was on the schedule, or when anything on the schedule would take place. All he said was for Kent to ‘be ready’. 

Kent wasn’t.

Jack woke him up at six in the morning with his door flying open, a flick of a light switch, and an alert. “You have five minutes or we leave without you.”

Kent stared at Jack while he lingered in the doorway instead of leaving immediately. “Leave for where?” he mumbled. They weren’t leaving for the billet family for another few weeks. He was not even remotely ready to do anything besides sleep. 

“Get dressed,” Jack said. “We’re going to the rink.”

“Is it gonna disappear once the sun comes up?” Kent asked, pushing himself off a seated position with one hand and rubbing his eye with the other. He wasn’t going to get any more sleep any time soon. Especially with Jack just staring at him.

Jack stayed in the doorway. He wasn’t going to move until Kent was out of bed. “Fresh ice. We have the keys to the rink before it opens in two hours.”

He was not surprised the Zimmermanns were able to get into a rink before it was open to the public. The connections the family had were nice, but sleep was nicer. At least at the moment. “So, why am I waking up?” Kent let out a long yawn and covered his mouth with his hand.

“I want to see how you skate,” he said. 

Jack wanted to see him skate. Of course Jack wanted to see if he could skate.

“Are we just skating, or is gear involved?” Jack stared at him like it was a ridiculous question to ask. “So, I’m the only one gearing up today?” Why did he feel like he was trying out when he was already drafted? And for a teammate and not a coach, none the less. 

“I’ll be there,” Jack said. 

“That didn’t answer my question,” Kent said. Maybe Jack didn’t like giving straightforward answers. “Your dad coming?” For some reason, he felt like he needed to impress Jack on the ice. As much pressure as he felt to impress Jack, the pressure was multiplied tenfold to have Bad Bob Zimmermann watching him.

“He’s driving.”

Kent raised his eyebrow at another simple answer. “You don’t drive?” he asked.

“Do you?”

Kent wasn’t going to mention that he failed his driving test right before he flew up. “I’m from New York. No one drives if they can help it.” He waited for Jack to say something to challenge him, because that is how most of their conversations usually went.

“Hurry up. You have three minutes to get dressed,” Jack said. 

Kent frowned. There wasn’t a a clock around and Jack wasn’t wearing a watch. There was no way he could have known how much time had passed. “You’ve been talking to me.” He was not going to be the one blamed if they were late for this fake scheduled practice. “Can I at least put shorts on?”

“Do you need them to play?” Jack asked, raising his eyebrow.

Kent was surprised at how that sounded almost like Jack was teasing him. Still, he grabbed a pillow and chucked it at Jack only to see him swat it away. “Get out of my room so I can change!” He was not going to linger on the fact that he called that room his own.

“Hurry up,” Jack said. “You need to eat something before we start.”

“So, I have more than three minutes, then,” Kent said. If Jack was going to give him a hard time, he was going to give it right back. If only he was more awake. Kent smirked with satisfaction when he saw Jack roll his eyes.

“Get dressed,” Jack said.

“Get out.” 

As soon as the door shut, Kent put a pillow over his face to muffle his scream. The pillow had been muffling a lot of screams and drying a lot of tears since he had arrived in Montreal. The cause of them was often Jack. Jack wasn't exactly mean or rude most of the time. It was mostly quiet and cold between them because Jack would either ignore him or give him one word responses.

The conversation they just had was probably the most they had spoken to each other since he arrived.

Kent wasn’t treating Jack fair, and he knew that. Sometimes it was easier to blame him than to deal with the real reasons why he was so upset. 

Having someone his age that he could talk to would have been nice, though. Or just anyone in general. 

Kent touched his chest to make sure his dad’s tags and his medal were still there. He did that many times a day since he got them. He reached over and grabbed his phone from the nightstand and opened it. He smiled when he saw he had a few messages waiting, like there was every morning. 

 **From: A+ Mom**  
(4:00 AM): I’m in a matcha mood today. I’m thinking a green tea and orange croissants. Or maybe chocolate instead of orange. Or matcha popovers.  
(4:00 AM): Or maybe just a matcha scone.  
(4:02 AM): And you better not be texting me back. You should be sleeping.  
(4:05 AM): Scones are definitely on the menu today. Not green tea, though.   
(4:05 AM): Muffins too.  
(4:10 AM): Good morning, baby. I love you. Have an awesome day.

Kent laughed and rolled his eyes. His mom’s process in the kitchen was always enjoyable to be a part of. 

Seeing the texts every morning always made him smile. He felt good for a moment, but that as fast as the feeling came, it left. He would remember that the bed he slept in wasn’t his bed, the room wasn’t his room, the family downstairs wasn’t his family. And it would just make him sad.

Twice in the seven days he’d been there, he’d woken up confused. Both times, he called his mom to hear her voice. He never said anything, but he would listen as his mom filled him in on her day. He felt bad about waking her both times, but she would always speak to him like she was so happy to get a call from him. As if she could sense just when Kent was about to fall asleep, she would whisper, “I love you, baby.”

It relaxed and settled him enough to get to sleep.

Moments like those made Kent worry about if he would ever be able to move even farther away from his mom.

Maybe ice time would help.  

 **To: A+ Mom**  
(6:07 AM): Green tea and orange croissants sound amazing.  
(6:07 AM): Also, guess who is getting some ice time today.  
(6:08 AM): If Jack kills me, all my things go to Brina-Bree. Or you could just bury me with everything.

 **From: A+ Mom**  
(6:08 AM): Gearing up?  
(6:08 AM): Also, Brina? Really? I’m keeping your guitar.

 **To: A+ Mom**  
(6:08 AM): Well, you did pay for it.  
(6:08 AM): I love you. I’ll call you later tonight. 

He rolled out of bed a moment later and making his way to his drawers to throw things in the direction of his bag. Along the way, he picked up the pillow he had thrown at Jack. He changed out of the clothes he slept in and into his gym clothes then headed out of his room with his bag.

In the kitchen, Bob greeted him with a smile, while Jack wore his usual, cold, hard expression. “Morning.” He directed it more to Bob than Jack. 

“You’re late.”

Kent bit his lip to keep from saying anything rude. While it was okay to give Jack a hard time when it was just the two of them, he didn’t feel right doing so with Bob or Alicia around. “Had to change.”

Jack tossed him two bars. “Eat those.”

Kent didn’t so much catch them as brace them against his chest. “Yeah. Thanks,” he said. He followed Bob and Jack out the door, then climbed into the passenger seat of their car after he put his things in the back.

He leaned back and shut his eyes. It felt like as soon as he shut his eyes, the car came to a stop. He opened his eyes and saw the rink. They were the only ones in the parking lot.

He was the last out of the car and grab his things. After Bob unlocked the door, he walked in and looked around. It was much bigger than the rink back home. 

With a tap on his shoulder to stop his staring, he headed to the locker room to change. Once there, he followed Jack’s lead, and put on his pads and skates as fast as he could. He took his chain off and gently set them in his bag next to his wallet and phone. He wouldn’t risk losing them on the ice. He grabbed his stick and made his way back to the ice once everything was in its place.

Kent felt a sense of ease and relief the moment his skates touched the ice. It was the first time since he’d arrived in Montreal that he’d felt something familiar. He took a few laps around the ice and almost tricked himself into thinking he was back in the rink in New York.

His relaxation was interrupted when he felt something hit his stick. He looked down and saw a puck. A little farther down the ice, he saw cones set up. 

A practice.

Unofficial.

“Okay,” Kent said as he made his way closer to the only other two people in the rink.

“Are you okay running a few drills?” Bob asked.

“I’m completely cool with it,” Kent said. He hadn’t run drills on the ice since the season ended a few months ago. He was ready to do more than just pick up games.

“We’ll have a few warm-ups. Then stick handling. Then agility. We’ll finish with one on one,” Bob said as he grabbed his bag of supplies and set up the last few cones. “Sounds good?”

Kent looked at Jack. “Yeah.”

The three of them skated to center ice and listened as Bob explained the first drill. 

Almost an hour into the practice, he regretted not eating at least one of the bars before starting. He would eat them the first moment he could, probably after the practice was over.

After drinking enough water, he was back on the ice to finish off the practice. Bob put Jack and Kent against each other as they played every different version of one on one until they had to leave. It was difficult to ignore how Jack and Bob would whisper to each other at the end of every drill. Even when he was close enough to hearing them, it wasn’t in English. He would never know what they were saying about him. Kent kept pushing the feeling of dread down and reminded himself that it was only a skate around.

Bob wasn’t his coach. Neither was Jack. He didn’t have to prove anything to them.

But, then again, he did.

Forty minutes later, Kent was ready to fall back into bed, sweat, pads, skates and all. His conditioning had taken a hit the week that he had taken off. He just hoped it didn’t show too much.

He skated to the bench to get some water when Jack blocked him. “Yes?” he asked.

Jack kept his gaze on Kent’s right hand that held his stick. “What hand are you?” Throughout the entire practice, he watched Kent switch his stick between hands with an ease he hadn’t mastered yet. 

“What?” Kent asked. Of all things he expected Jack to say to or ask him, that wasn’t on the list.

“When you played, did you play on the left or the right?” Jack asked, impatient for an answer.

Kent frowned at the assumption. “I could’ve played center.” He did play wing more often, but he played center from time to time.

“I play center.” His tone left no room for argument or compromise. Whenever they got to Rimouski, Jack would be playing center and Kent would be on a wing.

“Well, we don’t have to be on the same line,” Kent said. Logic didn’t seem to be one of Jack’s strong suits. 

“You’re right,” Jack said without missing a beat. “Maybe you’ll get on the third line.”

“Or I could get on the first line and you get bumped down to third.”

Jack laughed, and it wasn’t the same laugh from a week ago. This laugh was cutting. “”You really think you’ll start instead me?”

“I might,” Kent said. “You don’t know me, I don’t know you.”

“You’re not starting above me.” And that almost sounded like a threat. Almost.

And Kent did not take well to being threatened. “I just might.” Kent was going to work hard enough to start above Jack just to make him angry. “Just because you were drafted first doesn’t mean a damn thing.”

“Of course, it does,” Jack growled. He inched toward Kent and looked like he was ready to strike.

Kent’s eyes widened. He hadn’t seen that look on Jack’s face before. He said something wrong. And now he was going to get punched in the face for it.

“Jack. That’s enough,” Bob said, putting himself between the two young men after gathering all the supplies.

It was a moment before Jack stopped glaring at Kent long enough to look at his dad. “<<He won’t be able to help us,>>” Jack said, the growl still in his voice. “<<He is too small to play hockey.>>”

Bob grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him off to the side. “<<You don’t know what he can do. There is a reason why the coaches wanted him.>>”

Jack looked at Kent one last time, measuring him up. “He won’t last a week,” he said.

“Jack.”

Jack took his helmet off and shoved it at his dad. “I want to win,” he said.

Bob took Jack’s helmet and handed it back to him. He had experience with what to do when Jack acted like this. “And you will. <<You saw him. He could help.>> Just… be patient.”

Jack skated off to the locker room without saying anything else.

Kent stood off to the side waiting for some sort of permission it was okay to move or speak. “Mr. Zimmermann?” he said softly, making his way over.

Bob turned and smiled at the young man. “You did great today, Kent,” he said, patting him on his shoulder.

Kent’s eyes widened. “Really?” he asked, incredulous. He had no idea how to read either of their expressions throughout the practice. Bob was better than Jack at keeping his face neutral. It was hard to tell if he was doing well or not. 

“You’re a lot faster than Jack. And the fact that you’re as good with your left as you are with your right?I think you’re about to turn a lot of heads.”

“Yeah?” Kent asked with a smile big enough that it hurt his face. “You think so? After just one day?”

“I know potential.”

Kent could feel his cheeks warm up. He just received a compliment from Bad Bob. His friends would be so jealous. His happiness lessened as they skated toward the locker room. Where Jack was. “Jack looked pretty mad.”

Bob shook his head. “He puts a lot of pressure on himself. He wants to be a great hockey player.”

“He takes after you,” Kent said, stepping off the ice. “He’s bound to be great.” Jack probably had an infinite amount of pressure he put on himself since he was the son of a Stanley Cup winner. The frustration Jack had with him almost made sense.

“He could be. But I do want him to know that it will be all by his own doing and hard work.”

“He’ll be great,” Kent said. He looked back when he saw the Zamboni get on the ice. The rink would be open to the public soon.

“Come on,” Bob said. “Go clean up, then we’ll go get something to eat.”

“Are we heading back to the house?”

“Just to get Alicia. Then we’ll go to the diner.”

“Cool.” Kent stopped and looked up at Bob once more. “Mr. Zimmermann?”

“Yes, Kent?”

“Is this morning practice going to be a thing?”

Bob laughed. The practice wasn’t an easy one, but it wasn’t close to how hard Rimouski would push the boys during the season. It was good to just get the two of them skating again. “Jack doesn’t really understand taking breaks,” Bob said with an easy laugh. 

“I could tell.” Especially with the way Jack was skating earlier. Jack was on a mission and Kent would either help him or get in the way. 

Bob smiled and looked at Kent. He could see how tired the young man was. “You don’t have to come every day.”

Kent shook his head. “I came here to play hockey. I might as well get into shape before we head up to Rimouski.”

Kent made his way to the locker room and took off his skates. He walked into the showers when Jack had finished. His shower was quick. He changed into clean clothes, putting his chain on last and tucking it under his shirt. He touched the tags and medal over his shirt before heading out to the car where Bob and Jack were already waiting. 

He put his things in the back and got into the car. He quickly ate one of the bars Jack threw at him earlier, shoving the other into his pocket. 

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to the driveway where Alicia waited with her purse and bottles of water in her hands. They didn’t even stop the car as she walked down and got into the backseat behind Bob. “Good morning, Kent,” she said.

Kent gaped. Alicia usually sat in the passenger seat or drove and Kent was either in the back with Jack or by himself. He had never sat in the back with her before. “Good morning, Mrs. Zimmermann.”

“You were up early,” she said with a smile. She gave a bottle of water to Jack and another to Bob. 

“Jack wanted to get to the rink early,” Kent said, fiddling with the second bar in his sweatshirt pocket. He stopped when he heard the sounds the wrapper made.

“He’s been itching to get back on the ice. We put him on break since you arrived,” Alicia said. 

Kent didn’t know that was the case. He figured Jack was taking a break because they were off season and there was no reason for him to be on the ice. Today told him that injury was most likely the only thing that kept Jack from the ice. “You didn’t have to.”

“What was I supposed to do? Leave you with my parents?” Jack turned to look at his dad. “A week is too long to be off the ice.”

“You could’ve gone sooner,” Kent argued. He had been just as anxious to get back on the ice. “I would’ve gone with you.” If Jack wanted to skate, Kent would have happily gone with him. His time would have been spent better on the ice instead of having to run errands and play tourist. He didn’t mind seeing Montreal, but the longer he was off the ice the harder he’d have to work to get to the level he’d need to be to play in the Q.

“So,” Alicia said before Jack could say anything. She had to be the one to diffuse the situation. “How was it? Being on the ice again?”

Their first time on the ice together was not as disastrous as Kent expected it to go. That was a good thing, right? Jack checked him only a few times. The arguing was minimal except for their last conversation. He received a compliment or two from Bad Bob. All in all.

“It was okay.”

Kent’s eyes widened as he looked at Jack. They had just said the same thing. At the same time. Which meant Jack thought the same thing he did about the ice time. “Did we just—“

“No,” Jack said.

That moment didn’t last long.

“Jack,” Alicia said with a sigh. She had watched the two teens interact over the past week and saw so much tension between them. They butted heads over almost everything off, and now on, the ice. 

“Does the diner sound good?” Bob asked. He was either not going to get involved in Jack and Kent’s tension, or he did not realize what was going on. 

“Yes,” Jack said.

“I have no opinions,” Kent added softly. They showed him around the area every day and he liked all the different places they’d gone too and food they tried. Anything would be good after the training session they had. He wanted to eat, then sleep until dinner.

Alicia looked at Kent sympathetically. She handed over one of the water bottles. “Did you get a chance to eat something before leaving this morning?”

“I gave him a bar,” Jack said. They didn’t have time to have a full meal before practice. It was the best he could do on such short notice. He had the same amount of food and he was fine.

“He… he gave me two bars,” Kent repeated for unneeded emphasis. It made Jack look good, right?

Alicia exhaled loudly. “You could’ve made smoothies for the both of you, Jack.”

“We didn’t have time. He woke up late.”

“You could’ve warned me last night that we were skating today. I would’ve set an alarm.”

“You didn’t tell him?” Alicia and Bob said at the same time. 

Jack spun around and looked at Kent. “He should’ve known.”

“Jack.”

Kent just kept staring back at Jack until he couldn’t take it. He dropped his gaze to his lap. “It’s okay, Mrs. Zimmermann. It was good to get back on the ice.” 

Alicia knew what Kent was doing. She admired the boy for trying to keep Jack from getting into trouble. “Well, as long as you aren’t surprised by waking up that early again.”

“I think I’ll be okay, Mrs. Zimmermann. Now that I know what to expect.” He opened up the water bottle she gave him and drank half of it down. 

Jack turned back around and kept his eyes forward. “I was going easy on you today.”

“Of course you were,” Kent said with a sigh. He leaned back and shut his eyes when the conversations seemed to just end. Since the Zimmermanns had been letting him sleep in, waking up this early was harder than usual.

He opened his eyes once the car stopped and shut off. He saw them parked in front of a restaurant. The inside looked a bit crowded and it looked like it would take a few minutes before they would be seated.

Bob and Jack unbuckled their belts and opened their doors, but while Bob stepped out of the car Jack stayed put. He looked back at his mom, waiting for her to do the same. “Mom?”

“Jack, why don’t you and your dad go get us a table?” she said as she saw Bob already heading toward the entrance.

“Dad can go,” Jack said, ready to sit and and wait with the two of them. 

“Jack, go ahead. I’ll be right there.”

Jack turned around even further to look at Kent. “You coming?” he asked. He looked down and saw that Kent still had his belt buckled.

Kent looked over at Alicia and saw her shake her head so minutely that he almost missed it. “I… need a few.” He was in trouble. He knew it. He felt the fear deep in his chest that he was about to be scolded for being so weird to Jack. Perfect. 

“Whatever,” Jack said. He then stepped out of the car and slammed the door. He walked around to the front of the car and looked back through the windshield to glare at Kent. 

Kent dragged his hand down his face and groaned. Nothing he did or said would be right. He was about to scream when he heard a seatbelt unbuckling. He looked over and saw Mrs. Zimmermann smiling gently at him. “Sorry.”

Alicia’s laugh was so gentle. “You don’t have to be so polite to him, you know. If he’s giving you a hard time, you are more than welcome to give it back.”

Kent stared at Alicia like she had grown a second head. He wasn’t in trouble. She was actually giving him permission to fight back? “I… it’s okay.” He wasn’t sure how far he could push Jack before a giant fist came flying at his face. Earlier was a close call. 

“If you say so. But I think that it would do a lot of good for the both of you if you finally say something to him.”

“I might just make him hate me even more.” He really did not want to get on Jack’s bad side, especially if they they were going to be living and playing together. 

“He doesn’t hate you,” Alicia reassured. She waited for Kent to say or do something, but he continued to stare at his lap. Poor boy. She was use to Jack and how he acted when it came to hockey. It would take some for Kent to used to Jack and his modes. A week was not long enough for that.

“Close to.” 

Alicia could see that Kent missed his mom and everything that made him comfortable. Jack never had that problem when he moved to the States to play after his age kept him from playing in the Q for a year. Jack couldn’t understand what Kent was going through since Bob and Alicia were able to go to as many games as they could. Lydia would not have that luxury. 

She couldn't imagine what Kent was going through coming from a single parent household. He and Lydia were obviously close. She wanted to say the right thing to him. “I’ve seen your tapes, Kent.”

Kent looked up and at her. “You have?” Bob said that he had watched his tape, but he didn’t realize he did some of the watching at their home. Had Jack seen him skate before today?

“You’re going to be someone to watch,” Alicia said.

“You really think so?” Kent asked. 

Alicia had sat with Bob while he watched tape on all the players Rimouski planned on drafting. There were only a few of those players that were memorable for the Zimmermanns. Kent was one of, if not the only one Alicia could remember watching. “I’ve been a part of the hockey world for a few decades. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve seen the game change. I’ve never seen a player quite like you.”

Kent had to laugh. She made the fact that he was small sound so nice. “You have to say that, don’t you?”

“It does sound a bit scripted, doesn’t it?” Sometimes Alicia would accidentally say things that were right out of her movies and TV shows. This was not one of those moments. She meant what she said and she didn't want Kent to doubt the reason he was there. He was a really good hockey player.   

“A little,” Kent said with a smile. He sighed and leaned back, looking up to stare at the light in the middle of the car. A few minutes of silence passed and Kent thought that the conversation was over. 

“You know,” Alicia began softly so she didn’t startle the young man. “You remind me of someone.”

Kent turned his gaze from the top of the car to Mrs. Zimmermann. “Who?”

“Your Aunt Lucille.”

Kent’s eyes widened at the comparison. It still didn’t make sense that his aunt and Mrs. Zimmermann were roommates decades ago. “Really?” To think that there had been a connection between the two families for this long was not processing.

Alicia nodded with a soft smile. “She was so nervous at Samwell her first few weeks. I think everyone was at first, though. Trying to feel out the campus and the other students. Getting used to being away from home for the first time.” That was the closest to knowing exactly what Kent was going through. While this wasn’t college, it was something close. “But there’s always that moment where everything just… clicks.”

“There is?” Kent didn’t believe her. Not with the way he was feeling. 

“Of course,” Alicia said in a gentle and reassuring tone. She had gone through many the emotions Kent was probably going through. “It takes a few weeks, though. That’s when it happened to Lucille.”

“What happened?” His aunt being afraid of anything didn’t sound like her. 

“We went to this event on campus one night. By the end of it, she just had so much fun that when we headed back to the dorm she actually called it home by accident.”

“She did?”

“Three weeks and four days. That’s how long it took her.”

“And how long did it take you?”

“About the same amount of time. What I learned is that you can’t exactly rush getting comfortable with a big life change.”

“I know it’s been a week, but this is still so surreal. I’m living with you and Mr. Zimmermann. And I’m going to be playing so much hockey.” Kent’s eyes went comically wide. “So. Much. Hockey.”

“It’s only been a week, Kent. You need more than a week to adjusting to all of this. And then, by the time you’ve adjusted here, you’ll be moving up to Rimouski.”

“Right. Another move.” Maybe he’d be more prepared for that move than he was for this one.

“I know Jack isn’t exactly making it easy.”

“He really wants to win,” Kent said, just hoping that putting it in hockey terms was the right way to go about it. He saw it on Jack’s face and the way he carried himself. Jack was like this because the only thing on his mind was to be the best. Jack could easily be as good as, if not better, than his father.

“It’s a little hard wanting to be a part of a sport where his dad has trophies and pictures documenting how much he has achieved.” Jack put so much pressure on himself to win, not realizing how much of a team effort it took. 

“Mr. Zimmermann is a legend,” Kent said fondly. “As are you, ma’am.” He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have to live up to parents who have reached the pinnacle of their respective professions. Many times.

“As badly as he wants to win, he still has to be a good person.” Alicia hoped that it would start with Kent.

“He is.” Kent could tell Jack was nice under all those hockey pads. He just had to be patient. Jack did give Kent two bars for breakfast. It showed Kent that Jack was thoughtful. 

“I need him to learn that there is more to life that just hockey.”

Kent let out a quick laugh. “I don’t know how well that will go, Mrs. Zimmerman.” In the week that he’d been in Jack’s orbit, he knew one thing for sure. Jack was hockey. It would take a long time to unravel one from the other.

“I can still try. Look at you. You’ve found balance.”

“Hockey’s fun,” Kent said easily. He didn’t want to forget that it was supposed to be fun above all things. “I like playing it.”

“Good,” Alicia said so impressed by that answer. “Make sure you keep having fun, Kent.”

“I will, Mrs. Zimmermann.” Once he started playing for Rimouski, hockey would be more of a career. Even so, he didn’t want that to get in the way of the fact that he loved playing the sport. 

“Good.” Alicia hoped that Jack still thought that way about hockey from time to time. “And Kent, I want you to know that you can talk to me about things. I know I’m not your mother and I’m not going to try and be, but I’m here if you need anything. Even if it’s just to rant about Jack.”

Kent felt his eyes begin to water through Alicia’s speech. It had been so hard not having anyone to talk to and he could only call his mom and friends so often. The offer meant so much. “Thank you, Mrs. Zimmermann.” He swallowed hard and brought a hand up to wipe the tears from his eyes before they fell.

“Are you okay, Kent?”

Kent reached down with a shaky hand to buckle his seatbelt. “Can… can I have a hug?” 

“Of course,” Alicia said. 

Kent leaned over and into Alicia’s open arms. He shook as he took in a deep breath and slowly let out it. “Thank you,” he whispered again. He shivered as Alicia ran her hand up and down his spine just how his mom used to do to comfort him.

“And don’t hold back. You’re going to be playing some amazing hockey in the coming months.”

Kent pulled away after he calmed down enough. He wanted that to be true, but he was realistic. If he wanted to play, he’d have to outplay team veterans. “I’m ready,” he said. He opened his door and was ready to step out when Alicia reached out to touch his arm.

“And about Jack. I mean it. Don’t let him skate all over you.” Alicia stepped out of the car and waited for Kent to do the same. She opened the front door and locked it. The two of them walked toward the entrance of the diner together. “Don’t be afraid of a little fire, Kent,” she said as she opened the door to the restaurant. “Jack isn’t.”

The two of them headed to the booth where they found Jack and Bob already seated. He would be sitting in the booth next to Jack.

“What took you so long?” Jack asked.

“Had to talk to someone,” Kent said. He wasn’t going to give any further explanation. The conversation between him and Alicia would stay between them.

Jack didn’t press any further. He grabbed one of the orange juices in front of him and moved it front of Kent. “I ordered that for you,” he said. He then slid over one of the menus to him and one to Alicia after she sat.

That was a really nice gesture.

“Is it poisoned?” Kent asked. He hated that sometimes his mouth moved faster than his brain. He blamed it on being tired and hungry. Before Kent could apologize, Jack spoke.

“Yes.”

Kent stood shocked that Jack made a joke. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bob and Alicia watching them. Everything rested on the next few moments. 

While Jack was kidding about the juice, Kent had to do something. With a smirk, he reached over and took Jack’s cup which Jack had already taken a few sips. He stared at Jack as he took a long sip from it. The shocked and scandalized look on Jack’s face made it worth it. He then sat down, opened the menu, and saw Alicia hiding a smile as she took a sip of coffee.

Kent hoped that was just enough to have Jack warm up to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Every day after the first practice, Jack would wake Kent up at six in the morning. They would either go to the rink, go to the gym to lift, or go for a run. Kent appreciated having something to do, even if it was just working out in the beginning of the day. Then they took a break before working out again at the end of the day. While he did appreciate how it got him back into shape, he did not appreciate how sore he was at the end of the day. The workouts did help him get some of the best sleep he’d had since he’d arrived in Montreal.

The workouts were good for other things too. Every now and then, Kent made a breakthrough in Jack’s personality. They would actually talk, mostly about hockey. But once they left the ice, Jack would revert back to minimal interactions with him.

The workouts became a part of his schedule.

Along with checking his phone before he rolled out of bed.

 **From: A+ Mom**  
(4:48 AM): Alicia told me that Jack’s birthday is in a few days.  
(4:49 AM): I think I could send a cake.   
(4:49 AM): Would making something with maple syrup be too cliche?

 **To: A+ Mom**  
(6:02 AM): Please make something with maple syrup. I will love you forever.  
(6:02 AM): Or, something else. I already love you forever.

He was dressed and out the door with a bar in hand within five minutes. 

Usually only Bob would accompany them to the rink if that was on the schedule, but today Alicia joined them. Going to the rink instead of church on a Sunday morning was a little weird to Kent. His Catholic guilt got to him, but his mom was always there to tell him it was okay.

“As long as you’re a good person, baby. Just pray when you can. Good and bad, remember?”

So, Kent did. Even if sometimes days would pass between prayers.

He held onto his chain as they drove to the rink. Maybe, one day, he could sneak away. Just for one Sunday. 

It seemed unlikely.

There were more cars in the parking lot than usual when they pulled in. Kent looked toward the entrance and saw a large group of guys standing and waiting. He saw Jack was almost smiling. Smirking, perhaps. Well, that was something he didn’t see often enough.

Kent stepped out of the car last. He grabbed his gear and followed the Zimmermanns. He walked through the group of guys; they were all taller than him. He headed straight to the locker room once the door was open.

He change into his gear and was the first out on the ice. He took a few laps around the rink and stopped in front of Bob when Jack made his way out of the locker room. “Who are those guys?” he asked.

“Former teammates,” Jack said. “They all play in the Q or in other leagues.”

“Any of them on Rimouski?”

“No. But we’ll be playing against some of them during the season.”

Kent watched as the guys made their way onto the ice one by one. He counted the bodies on the ice and smiled. “So, pick up games?” He’d get to play some actual hockey instead of just running drills.

“Until the rink opens,” Bob said.

“You think you can handle that?”

“Yeah,” Kent said with a grin. “Let’s do this.” He skated over to the guys and looked all them over. He recognized one, maybe two of them. “Hi. Nice to meet you guys.”

Everyone on the ice looked over at Kent. It seemed to take forever for one of them to make a move toward him. “Nice to meet you. I’m Keats.”

“Recite that damn poetry, Keats!”

“Shut the hell up, Rudder!” Keats smiled and pointed to the guy who that just spoke. “That asshole over there is Rudder.”

“I’m Kent. Parson,” he introduced. 

One by one, the guys skated toward him to introduce themselves. Some introduced themselves by their nicknames, some by their real names. All with the positions they played. There was no way Kent was going to remember everything.

“So, you're the small one Jack keeps telling us about.”

“He… what?” Kent was about to press further, but was distracted when a puck hit his stick while he leaned on it. He looked over and saw a small group across the redline looking at him. He hit it back toward them, but as soon as it got close to one of them, they hit it again, this time to open space. He didn’t see anyone moving toward it so he skated over before the puck stopped. He hit it back, this time aiming toward the goal behind them. He smirked at the shocked look on their faces.

He skated back over to Keats and the rest of them. They were all smiling at him. “What?”

“What an asshole,” Rudder said with a laugh. 

Kent smirked and shrugged. “I could be meaner,” he said.

“Look at him,” Keats said. “He’s so cute.”

“You too, sweetheart,” Kent said with a wink. He was shaking with excitement and nerves. Running drills was one thing, but, now, he’d be playing an actual pick up game against people who were already playing in the Juniors. He could see how he measured up against the other guys. That being said, he didn’t want them to see just how nervous he was. “Come on, handsome.”

“Bold, Parse,” Rudder said, pushing Kent away.

“So, are we gonna do this, or what?” He was ready to get started. They could get a few periods in before the rink opened up and he wanted to get in as many as possible.

“Impatient one, aren’t you?” Bricker said.

“I’ve been running drills and running for over a week. Give me a guy or two I can check.”

“Can’t wait to see that,” Rudder said. He looked over at the group at the redline and called out to them. “Get over here! We’re making teams.” 

They skated over and the two goalies were separated. “Pair up with your position,” Jack said once they were all close enough to hear. “Then rock-paper-scissors. Winners with Dante. Losers go with Rossy.”

“Hey.”

“I’m not calling you a loser, Rossy,” Jack said, rolling his eyes.

“Sure thing,” Keats said, skating to Calvin. “But, Jack and Parse have to be on the same team since you two have to learn to play together.”

Kent looked over at Jack and shrugged. “Makes sense to me.” In the few sessions they’ve had on the ice, Kent learned a bit about Jack’s style of play. Even in doing just drills, Jack always gave 110%. He was sure Jack would be an amazing teammate to play with and, now, he’d see if that was true. 

He followed Jack as he skated over to Rossy.

“Loser,” Rossy said to Jack as he passed.

Kent laughed out loud at that. His laughter stopped when Calvin skated over.

“Are you usually on the left or right?” he asked.

“Whichever side you’re on, I’ll go opposite,” Kent said. He didn’t have a preference. He was sure he’d be able to play either side since he did it all the time in the clubs he played. 

Calvin looked over at Jack and raised an eyebrow when he saw him shake his head. Calvin grabbed a puck, dropped it in front of him, slid his stick under, the flicked it up. “Catch,” he said.

Kent moved his stick from his right to his left. He then reached up with his right hand to catch the puck. “The hell was that?”

“You’ll play right,” Calvin said. “You okay with that?”

Kent put the puck down and hit it toward the other team. “I’m cool with it.” He looked over at Jack. “You?”

Jack nodded then skated over to the rest of the guys. “Are you ready?”

They all nodded. “Are _you_ ready?” Bricker asked.

Jack looked over his shoulder and saw his team skating toward them. He watched Kent tap the puck between their skates while skating around. “<<Don’t go easy on him,>>” he warned.

Keats raised his eyebrow. “<<Did you think we were going to do that?>>”

Jack shook his head knowing that the team wouldn’t do that. Whenever they played, they treated it like a real game. “<<He can handle himself. Do not underestimate him.>>”

“We won’t,” Keats said. He looked at the rest of the guys. “Line it up,” he said, then everyone moved into position. He skated over and lined up next to Kent. “Show us what you got, Parson.”

Kent was going to do just that. “Well, first thing I’m going to do is skate past you after Jack gets the puck and passes it to a d-man. Once it gets to me, I’m gonna pass it back to Jack, and then he's gonna score.” He winked and pushed against Keats to get space. He looked at center ice and saw everyone ready. “You got this, Jack.”

Bob skated to the group after gathering up the extra pucks. He had a stopwatch and whistle in one hand and the puck in the other. “Each period will be ten minutes long with a running clock. Keep it clean, boys.” He waved Jack and Bricker toward center ice. He looked around and saw everyone ready. He raised the puck and watched Jack and Bricker fight for position. He dropped it, then skated out of the way. 

Jack was the first to the puck and he hit it back to Owen who sent the puck straight to Kent after he skated past Keats. 

Kent got to the puck first and skated around waiting for his teammates. Once they got into place, he smiled as he toyed with Keats for a bit to give Jack a little time. Once the attention was on him and Jack was in the perfect position, he sent the puck through.

Then Jack took the shot.

Kent was surprised at how easy Jack made the shot look. And damn if that amount of skill wasn’t impressive.

He smirked at Keats when the rest of the team celebrated the goal. “Told you.”

“Keats, the hell was that!” Rudder yelled as he skated over.

“Holy shit,” Keats said as Kent winked at him then skated over to celebrate with the team.

He looked back at Keats as he got to his teammates. “Make it harder for me, next time.” The team congratulated Kent on the assist, but Kent focused on Jack. “Nice shot,” he said with a laugh.

The other boys looked at Kent and wondered just what the hell was going on between him and Keats. They didn’t ask and just made their way back to center ice. 

Kent lined up again next to Keats for the next face off. He nudged Keats to get position on him. Keats was a little more serious now. Jack lost the face-off and Kent immediately skated back on defense. He stayed on the wing, making sure to split his focus between the puck and Keats.

Holden skated around for a bit before passing the puck to Keats, but he got it right back because Kent wasn’t letting Keats do anything with it. Holden passed it to Bricker who skated around the back of the net before giving it back to Holden who lined up for a shot. 

Rossy reached and caught it.

“Atta boy, Rossy!” Kent yelled after the save. 

The period ended with their team being up 1-0. Kent was the last to make it to the bench for water as he stayed back a bit to chirp Holden and Owen. He laughed as he stepped off the ice.

This teammates were speaking in French and they stopped the moment he sat down. Kent looked at them and raised his eyebrow. “You can still talk about me. It’s fine.”

“Only good things,” Flock said, tossing Kent a water bottle. 

“Thanks,” he said after he caught it.

“The hell did you say to Keats?” Nestor asked. “Never seen him so pissed.” He had the biggest smile on his face as he said it.

Kent laughed and drank a few gulps of water. “Just predicted the future about the first goal.”

“You did what?” Jack asked.

“I just told him I was going to get the puck to you and you would score,” Kent said with a shrug. He took a few more sips of water. “I wasn’t exactly predicting lotto numbers. Just stating the obvious.”

“You knew I was going to score?” Jack said.

“Eventually. I was just messing with him,” Kent said, grabbing his stick and standing. “I predict Jack is gonna score one more time before the game’s over. Calvin will too. And maybe I’ll get in on the action.”

“You didn’t tell us he was a psychic, Jack,” Nestor said.

“What did he tell you?” Kent asked, finishing off his water and and setting the bottle on the bench.

“Doesn’t matter,” Jack said before any of their teammates could say anything else. “Back on the ice.” He was the first one off the bench and back on the ice. 

The rest of their teammates followed leaving Kent with Calvin on the bench. “He always talks to you guys like that?” Kent asked.

Calvin laughed. “Hockey Jack is something.” He stood up and nudged Kent to the door. “But he only said good things.” He smirked at Kent. “You got him excited. And if you keep getting the puck to him you might even see him smile.”

The two of them joined the rest of their teammates, then moved around to center ice to start. Jack got the puck, passed it to Nestor who passed it back to Jack. 

“Parse, go,” Jack said, skating up the middle.

Kent skated on the wing, then cut to curl behind Jack, getting the puck from him. He skated over the blue line and passed to Calvin. He skated around the back of the net and got the puck back before sending it to Nestor. Nestor tried to shoot, but Dante blocked it. The puck bounced to Holden. 

Kent skated back on defense, keeping up with him, checking him into the glass. Kent immediately jumped off the board and skated after Calvin after he picked off the puck. He stayed on the wing, skating around when Calvin passed it to him. He sent it back to Jack who passed it to Flock. 

Flock took the shot, hitting the back of the net.

Kent immediately skated over and smiled at Flock. “Well, I was wrong,” he said with a shrug. He didn’t mind one bit. Scoring was always better than not scoring, regardless of his prediction. 

Jack lost the next face off and they had to skate back again. They spent the rest of the period on defense, with the other team scoring once. As frustrating as it was, it was a nice shot. 

They got back to the benches and Jack was not in as good a mood as he was after the first period.

“You good?” Kent asked, sitting down next to him.

“I don’t like close games,” Jack said. 

He was about to say that it was just a pick up game, but he stopped himself. Kent could tell even though it was a pick up game, they still needed to win.

“Then let’s make it un-close.”

“That’s not a word.”

Kent shrugged. “My classes start in two weeks. I can make up words before then.” He took a long gulp of water. “So, how do we do that?”

“Get me the puck.”

Kent nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.” He stood up and was the first to get back on the ice. He was greeted by Mr. Zimmermann who looked to be deciding between three pucks in his hand.

“How are you doing, Kent?”

“I think I’m keeping up,” Kent said. “But I could be lying to myself.” 

“You’re doing fine,” Bob said. “Just keep playing your game.”

“Can do. Don’t really know how to play anyone else’s game anyway.” Kent saw the rest of the guys got back on the ice. Jack’s demeanor had not changed. If anything, he looked angrier.

Jack didn't say anything. All he did was skate to center ice and wait for Bricker to do the same. Kent stood next to Keats and waited for Bob to skate over.

As soon as the puck dropped and Kent saw that Jack won, he raced to their side of the rink. Nestor tried to send the puck his way, but it was intercepted by Owen. Kent got back as fast as he could, but Owen was too far ahead. All Kent could do was pick up the nearest man, who happened to be Bricker. 

Kent tried to get in the way of the pass, but Bricker hit him to make sure that he got it first. Kent did his best to just get in the way, but he couldn’t stop Bricker from sending the puck to Holden who passed it to Owen.

It took them four attempts before the puck found the back of the net.

Kent’s first instinct was to look at Jack.

Jack was pissed. Kent skated over and he heard Jack growl. Or something close to it. “Jack.”

“Get me the puck.”

It sounded like an order. Or something a captain would say.

“Get it to me first, and I got you.”

Jack nodded, then lined up. He sent the puck to Flock who passed it down knowing that Kent would be faster than Keats and get to the puck first.

Kent gathered the puck and skated around, passing it to Calvin. The puck was picked off, but Jack got it right back after checking Rudder into the glass. Jack immediately sent the puck back to Kent.

Kent skated around with the puck, sending it to his teammates and getting it right back. He needed to be the one to get it back to Jack. 

Kent skated into open space and got the puck from Calvin. This was the perfect set up. “Jack!” he called when passed it.

Jack took the shot.

The shot was quick. The only reason he knew it went in was because he was staring at the net and saw it move. “Fuck yeah!” Kent said, skating over to Jack. 

Jack was smiling.

“Nice pass,” Jack said.

“Bad ass shot,” Kent said. He could not help but to smile back. The set-up could not have been more perfect. If they could pull off plays like that, they would be awesome. 

He skated over after the celly and heard the other team talking.

“Are you letting him get passed you?” Bricker asked.

“No, he’s just that fast,” Keats said.

“Well, stop letting him do that. He keeps getting the puck to Jack and they keep scoring.”

“Kid’s good. And you could try and stop him too,” Keats said with a frown. Keats was out of breath. It was hard keeping up with a guy that seemed to have boundless energy.

“They’re up three-two.”

“Yeah, we are,” Kent said with a smirk. “I think we could make it four-two.”

“I think you could shut up,” Keats said.

“Good one, Keats,” Rudder said. “Best comeback ever.”

“Shut up, Rudder. You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“Can I trade? I want to be on the winning team.”

Keats rolled his eyes. He lined up next to Kent. “Okay, quick guy. Let’s see if you can keep up these last few minutes.” 

Kent smirked. “I’m good. You’re the one that has to stick with me.” He looked up in time to see Jack get ready to win another face off.

The other team picked up their level of play knowing that the time was running down and they were down one goal. The last period was fast and brutal and Kent loved every second of it.

By the time Bob blew the whistle, the final score 3-2. The teams made their ways to center ice to shake hands.

Bob skated over with the pucks in hand. “We’ve got twenty more minutes,” he said, looking at his watch.

“Want one more period or just cut out now?” Bricker asked. 

Kent smiled at the guys. “I’m good with ten more minutes.” He was definitely going to sleep well tonight after how hard they had been playing.

“Freaking energizer bunny,” Keats said with a laugh.

“So, you called Jack scoring two. You were wrong about Calvin. You wrong about you scoring?” Flock teased.

Kent raised his eyebrow at them. “Get me the puck.” He said it as more of a suggestion.

Flock looked over at Jack. Jack had taken the role of captain of their team. “Get him the puck,” Jack said. Kent had been doing a good job getting the puck to everyone else, it would be nice for him to score. 

The boys got a quick sip of water before they were back to center ice. 

“Get ready,” Jack said, mostly to Kent, before he lined up against Bricker.

Jack lost the face off and their team immediately got back on defense. The last thing any of them wanted was for this to end up in a tie.

Two minutes passed before they finally got the puck and were able to skate down for a breakaway. “Parse, go!” Jack yelled as he skated down the wing when Kent took the middle. 

Kent got the puck from Flock and skated around, trying to get away from the main flow of people. He got the puck to Jack, then Jack sent it right back to him. Kent skated until he had the best angle and took the shot.

It was the best attempt he had all day. But even so, he wasn’t sure if the puck was going in.

“Atta boy, Parse!” Nestor yelled, skating over to him.

He scored.

Thank God. 

He stood as the team skated over to congratulate him. That felt good.

Once his team gave him room to breathe, he looked at the other team who just stood in shock. “Hey, should we cut out early?” he teased.

“Hell no!” Rudder said. “We got a few minutes. Get ready for the greatest comeback you’ve ever seen.” 

“Or we could be up by three,” Kent yelled back.

“Stop antagonizing him,” Jack said. But he was smiling. Again. “Come on. We got a few minutes left.”

Kent nodded and followed Jack. “Hey, Jack. We got enough time to triple up, right?”

“Sure thing, Parse,” Jack said. He bent over, ready for the face off.

Bricker won the face off and passed the puck to Keats. Kent was turned around and had to skate after him. He got out of the way fast enough for Flock to check Keats into the board. He skated around behind Flock, following him down the rink. 

Flock was cut off by Rudder and Owen. Flock skated around to look for the open person. 

It was Kent.

Kent’s eyes immediately went to Jack who was skating into open ice. Kent was about to pass the puck when he saw Bricker skating over to him.

He didn’t get a chance to pass it when Bricker came crashing into him, sending him into the glass. Or, it would’ve been the glass if they were at any other area in the rink besides near the benches.

Without the glass, and with Bricker at least 30 pounds heavier, Kent flew into the boards hard and fast enough for his midsection to take the brunt of it.

He fell to the ice with a groan once he rebounded. “Fuck. Me,” he said softly. He shut his eyes and let go of his stick so he could catch his breath. He would need a minute or two before he could get up again. 

He just hoped none of the other guys would accidentally skate over him.

He tensed for a second when he heard the sound of people skating over. Then they stopped.

He stayed on his side, trying to control his breathing so that he could uncurl and roll onto his back. He would need another few minutes for that.  

Jack skated over to the crowd forming around Kent. He skated up to Bricker and pushed him in his chest. “Why did you hit him so hard?”

“I didn’t,” Bricker countered. “I hit him like I usually hit people. It’s not my fault that he went flying.”

“Is he dead?” Rossy asked.

Kent would have laughed at the question if any sort of movement didn’t cause him a little bit of pain.

“He’s not dead.”

“Go check for a pulse,” Rossy added.

Kent let out a groan as he straightened out and rolled onto his back. “I’m not dead, you assholes.”

“You good?”

“Yeah. Play on,” Kent said as he grabbed his stick and tried to sit up and make his way to his feet. The attempt was unsuccessful. He flopped back down onto the ice. “Or… or not play on.” He dropped his stick and held his midsection.

“Parse?” Jack asked, breaking the circle and drifting closer.

“We’re good,” he said. “We’re good.” If he said it enough times, maybe he could convince the others. Or, at least himself.

“Parse,” Jack said with a sigh. The sigh had the perfect amount of exasperation as if to tell him not to lie. He grabbed Kent’s chin and looked into his eyes. “Concussion?”

Kent shook his head, both to say no and prove a point. “Might’ve bruised something, though.”

“Shit,” at least three other players said. 

“Get him off the ice,” Jack said bending down to take one of Kent’s arms.

“Well, that’s mean,” Rossy said. 

“So we can see if he’s okay,” Jack replied.

“I’m good, just got the wind knocked out of me. Don’t think I can finish playing, though.”

Bob bent over and grabbed Kent’s other arm and helped him to his feet. He skated along his son and Kent, helping him toward the locker room. “Why don’t you head to the showers to clean up? Then you can sit with Alicia.” 

“I might need help getting my pads off.”

“I got you.”

Kent shook his head. “You can still play.”

“Keats, switch,” Jack said. He wasn’t going to finish the game. He needed to help his teammate.

“You got Parse?” Keats asked, skating over. If they needed his help to get Kent to the locker room, he was going to be there. Even though Kent was a handful the entire game, he was a good hockey player. 

“I got him,” Jack said. There was no sense being three players down. They could still play if he was the only one helping Kent. Also, Kent was not big or heavy. Three people were not needed to get him across the ice and into the locker room.

“<<You two never played together before?>>” Keats asked, staring at Kent who leaned a little heavily against Jack.

“<<Not like this. We’ve just been running a lot of drills.>>” Jack started to skate to the entrance of the hallway.

“<<If this is how you two play after just one pick up game, hockey is in a lot of trouble.>>”

Jack let out a soft laugh. “Get back on the ice, Keats.”

“Good job today, Parse,” Keats said, patting him on his shoulder pads then skating back to center ice along with Bob.

“Thanks.”

Jack held onto Kent’s arm and skated to the locker room. He helped him sit down on a bench close to the showers. Kent removed his helmet and gloves and took his time taking off his elbow pads. Jack was quick to take off Kent’s jersey and lift the pads from his shoulders. He watched Kent try to remove, but stopped with a wince. Jack reached over and was quick but gentle as he pulled the shirt off. “Are you good with the rest?”

Kent nodded as he tried to kick off his skates without untying them. Bending over to do that hurt. “I’m good. Go.” It would take him a few minutes, but, he hoped he’d be done with his shower before the other guys walked in. 

Jack rolled his eyes. He knelt down in front of Kent. He put his hand behind Kent’s calf to lift his leg up. He pulled Kent’s skates and socks off, then took off his shin pads. He was as gentle as he worked on the other leg. He set the equipment down, leaning everything against the bench. “I think you should be okay, now,” he said. 

Kent stood up, waving Jack off as he reached forward to steady him. “You heading back out?”

“No. I have to make sure you’re okay.”

Kent sighed and pushed his pants down and stepped out of them. “I’ll be fine, Jack. I’ll be out in a few.” He dragged his feet to the showers then stripped out of his cup and compression shorts. He stood under the spray for a few minutes, not having much energy to do much else. He couldn’t exactly lift his arms up high enough to wash his hair.

Kent wasn’t sure how long he was in the shower before he heard the sounds of someone making their way over.

“You okay in there?”

Kent was. He looked around and sighed. Well, that was an amateur move. “I forgot my towel.”

“Crisse,” Jack said rather loudly. He walked into the shower and brought the towel and Kent’s clothes. “Here.”

“Thanks, Jack.”

Jack nodded. “I told them I got you. I keep my word.” He had been captain of his team during his years in the States. He made it his job to make sure his team was always okay. 

Kent wrapped the towel around himself and waited. He stared at Jack who was staring back. “You gonna let me get dressed, or what?”

Jack hadn’t realized he had been staring at Kent. “Hurry up, the guys are gonna be here soon.” He turned and walked out of the showers without another word.

Kent toweled off and groaned as he had to bend over to put his boxers and shorts on. He decided against his shirt and decided to put just his sweatshirt on. He was surprised to see that it wasn’t his usual pullover, but one with a zipper. The sweatshirt wasn’t his. He walked out of the showers and looked for Jack who wasn’t looking in his direction. He put the hoodie on and zipped it up, ignoring how he was swimming in it. It was a lot easier to put on than a shirt or his own sweatshirt would have been. “You should shower. I’m gonna head out and sit with your parents.”

“Will you be okay?” Jack asked. He stared at Kent wearing his sweatshirt. It almost didn’t look right that Kent wasn’t wearing his usual dark gray hoodie. Instead, it was black and was definitely two sizes too big. 

“I’m okay, Jack.”

“Okay,” he said. Jack watched Kent go and grab his bag. “Leave it. I’ll grab it later.”

“I think I can lift my bag, Jack.”

“Mom and dad will kill me if they see you carrying your bag when you’re hurt.”

Kent sighed, knowing that he wasn’t going to win the argument. “Okay. Thanks.”

He walked out of the locker room just as the rest of the guys were walking toward it. He saw Bob at the end of the line. He was about to say something when they guys came up to him.

“Good job today, Parse.”

“Nice shot.”

“Get better soon. I gotta get you back for that check.”

“I think Bricker already avenged you.”

“Sorry about that.”

Kent shook his head. “Part of the game. Just don’t do it again,” he teased. He knew that it couldn’t be helped sometimes. He would try and stay away from the bench whenever he got checked.

Bob put a hand on Kent’s shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly once everyone walked into the locker room. “Good job today, Kent.”

“Thanks, Mr. Zimmermann,” Kent said with a smile. Bob said that to him after almost every practice, but it never lost its meaning. He always spoke to Kent with validity and kindness. If Bob said kept saying he was doing okay, it had to be true. It helped that the man was a legend.

“Why don’t you go and sit with Alicia? I’ll grab your things.”

“Thank you.” Kent then made his way over to where Alicia was sitting. He smiled as he walked up the bleachers and plopped himself down.

“Kent. How are you?” If she noticed that Kent was wearing her son’s sweatshirt, she didn’t say anything about it.

Kent put a smile on his face. He hated seeing Alicia worry. “I’m okay, Mrs. Zimmermann.”

Alicia could tell that Kent believed what he was saying even if it wasn’t completely true. If Kent didn’t want to talk about that last check, she wouldn’t talk about it. She would keep a close eye on him the next few days. “You were great out there.”

Kent almost believed Bob and Alicia when they said that he played decently. “Those guys are crazy. Their level of play is… fuck,” he said, blushing when he realized he swore. The Zimmermanns seemed comfortable with it, but Kent’s cheeks still reddened whenever he did it.

Alicia laughed like she always did when Kent would swear. “They’ve been in the league for a year. They are playing at such a high level, right now. But, you’ll be there soon enough. After you recover, of course.”

“Yeah. After like a 20 hour nap,” Kent replied.

“That bad?” That was a little worrying. 

Kent shook his head. “Caught me off guard. I think this entire area might be purple tomorrow,” he said gesturing to his midsection.

At least Kent was able to admit when he was hurt, unlike some hockey players that she knew. “Bed rest it is, then.” Alicia looked over and saw Bob making his way over holding Kent’s bag. “Come on. Let’s get you to the car. Jack should be out soon.”

“Let’s go.” He followed the Zimmermanns out of the rink and to their car. He climbed in and leaned back. Jack arrived a few minutes later.

“Why don’t we just head home today?” Bob suggested.

Kent was grateful for it. Usually, they went to the diner to eat, but he wasn’t hungry. And sitting wasn’t helping his midsection at all. He wanted to lie down.

Jack put his bag in the back and got into the back seat. He couldn’t stop looking at Kent. “You’ll be good by the time we head up to Rimouski?”

That was a weird way to ask if he was okay. “I’ll be good,” he said. He was sure he’d heal by then. He was worried at how close he was cutting it. They’d be driving up soon, then they’d have to start practicing, and then preseason games. And cuts. “But, hey, since I’m injured, maybe you’ll make first line now.”

“I’ll get first line because the coaches know I’m better than you, not because you’re hurt.”

“But I’m pretty good, huh?” Kent said with a smile.

“Decent,” Jack replied with an almost smile.

They arrived home a few minutes later. “We got your bag, Kent,” Bob said as he stepped out of the car.

“Thanks, Mr. Zimmermann,” Kent said doing the same. He was exhausted. 

“Jack, help Kent upstairs, please?” Alicia said when she saw just how much Kent was leaning against the car. 

“No, no. I’m okay,” Kent said. He pushed himself off the car and smiled.

Jack walked over and grabbed Kent’s arm. “Stop being so stubborn.”

“I’m not being stubborn.”

“Let me help you,” Jack said with a sigh. He led the way into the house and helped Kent up the stairs. He kept Kent close, stopping whenever Kent looked like he was about to tip over. It took a bit longer than expected, but they made it to the second floor.

Kent leaned against Jack most of the walk. He felt no shame in doing so. He was grateful when he did not have to worry about any more stairs. “So,” he said. “You told your friends about me?” He had been wanting to ask for some time, but he wanted to do it privately.

Jack opened the door to Kent’s room and walked in, partially dragging him over to the bed. “I did,” he said. He sat Kent on the edge of the bed. 

"That’s nice. They seem nice.” It didn’t sound like Jack had said anything bad about him.

“They checked the life out of you.” Jack still wasn’t sure if Kent had a concussion or not. A concussion would explain why Kent thought an injury was nice.

“Out of love, Jack. It was out of love. It’s all part of the game.” Kent flopped over with a groan and lifted his legs up so he could get into a horizontal position. Using his abdominal muscles to lift his legs was the worst. 

Jack almost reached down to help adjust Kent’s position, but Kent looked determined to do it on his own. “You comfortable?” he asked once the pained look on Kent’s face was gone. 

“I’m good. I might just sleep the rest of the day, if that’s all right.”

Jack raised his eyebrow. “You deserve it. But I’ll wake you up for lunch.”

“I’m gonna say you don’t have to. I think I’m gonna sleep through it.”

Jack’s friendly expression turned into a stern look. “You need to eat something.”

“ _You_ need to eat something.”

Jack sighed, mostly because Kent was definitely better at comebacks than that. He had to be hurting if that was the best that Kent could give him. “Parse.”

“By the time you go downstairs, get something made, and come back up, I’ll be asleep,” Kent said. He was tired, and laying in the bed was about to send him to sleep soon.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. Stop worrying.”

Jack stared at Kent for a moment to read if Kent was telling the truth. It took him a moment before he decided that he was. “Okay. I might wake you up later to make sure this isn’t a concussion.”

“It’s not. But. Yeah. Wake me up if you need to.” He heard Jack shut the door and fell asleep a minute or two later.

Jack woke Kent up a little after noon. Kent looked up at Jack, smiled, answered all Jack’s questions, then fell back asleep without even thinking about food. 

Kent didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard another knock on his door. He looked out the window and saw the sun had already gone down. Kent groaned and tried to roll over. He did not succeed. “Yeah?” he called, rubbing his eyes. He tried to sit up, but his midsection didn’t let him.

Jack opened the door and turned the light on. He leaned against the doorway, looking over at Kent still in a horizontal position. “You coming to dinner?”

The mention of food made Kent’s stomach rumble. “Yeah. Yeah, I…” He figured now was the best time to try and make his way to a seated position. “Fuck,” he said with a grunt, flopping back down. Why the hell did that hurt so much?

Jack made his way inside when he heard how pained Kent sounded. “What—” His eyes went wide when Kent unzipped his jacket. 

Kent opened it and saw the beginnings of a nice bruise. “Oh, hey,” he said. “That’s colorful.”

“Crisse,” Jack mumbled. “Does it hurt?” He moved closer and knew that the coloring would be different in a few hours.

“A little. Probably will hurt more later. I think it looks worse than it actually is.” He winced as he tried to sit up once more. 

“Easy, easy. Are you okay?” Jack grabbed Kent’s arm and pulled him up to scoot him against the headboard.

“Yeah. I’m good. Okay, maybe not good. But… not bad. It’s like the time my auntie’s car got rearended.”

“How is that the same thing?”

“It's the seatbelt injury, you know? This sort of hurts the same. I’ll be good in a few days.”

“And until then?” Jack asked.

“Don’t check me?” Kent said with a shrug. He knew movement had to be minimal. Getting hit was definitely not on the recommended list of things to do with the injury.

“I’ll get you some ice. And bring your food up.”

Kent shook his head. “I’ll come down.” He turned his body so he could get out of bed.

Jack put his hand on Kent’s ankle to keep him from moving any further. “Stay where you are. I’ll get you a painkiller too.”

“Jack.”

“I’ll bring your food up.” Jack stepped out of the room before Kent could argue any further. 

Minutes later, Jack knocked and stepped in without waiting for a response. He had a tray table that had Kent’s food in one hand, and a box under his other arm. “Your mom sent you another box,” he said. He set the food down before placing the box next to Kent’s leg. 

“Mom…” Kent said, sort of embarrassed. The embarrassment passed quickly and he grabbed the box to open it.

Jack watched Kent rip open his second or third box that his mom had sent up since he arrived. “Is this going to be a thing? Is she going to send you things all the time?”

“Probably.” Kent opened up the flaps and let out a happy sound when he saw the contents. “Mom. You get me.”

Jack unconsciously took a step forward. “What did she send?”

Kent picked up the box and tilted it toward Jack. “Some cookies. Breakfast pastries.” He pushed a few things aside. “Cream puffs! Mom, you so get me,” he said.

“Cream puffs? How did that send?”

“She sent the puffs. And the cream separate. I get to make my own. Yes. You want some?” He pulled out a piping bag with a tip. His mom thought of everything. 

“I’m in season.”

Kent rolled his eyes. Bob was right; Jack wasn’t a fan of taking breaks. “No, you’re not. Come on. Just one. I promise it won’t hurt you.” He lifted a cream puff shell up and offered to him. He winced. Lifting his arms above a certain height was going to be difficult.

Jack stepped forward, took the cream puff from Kent’s hand, and put it back in the box. “Can you stop moving?” he said.

Kent saw Jack staring at the things in the box. “You can have a cookie if you want.”

“You should eat some real food first.” Jack made it sound more like a suggestion than an order. The tone was different form his hockey captain tone.

“I could say the same to you. But you’re up here with me instead of downstairs eating with your mom and dad.”

Jack stared at Kent like he hadn’t thought of that. “I’ll grab my food and come eat up here with you.”

The request was a surprise. “You don’t have to do that,” Kent said after a moment of silence.

“I have to make sure you don’t go straight for the cookies.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew how good the cookies were,” Kent said. He pushed the box over to Jack. “You could just take the box.”

Jack frowned at the suggestion. “I’m not going to take something your mom gave to you."

Again, Jack was pretty thoughtful. “Go and eat with your parents, Jack,” Kent said. “They’re probably waiting for you."

“Give me a minute. I’ll be back.”

Jack was really good at leaving before Kent could say something to convince him otherwise.

Kent grabbed the plate and put it on his lap. He wondered for a second if Jack was really coming back. He was about to take his first bite when he heard the sound of footsteps.

“Huh,” Kent said when he saw the door open. Jack walked in with his own plate and drink. 

Jack sat down at his desk after turning the chair around to watch Kent. “You haven’t started eating yet.”

“I… I was waiting for you,” Kent lied. In all honesty, he didn’t think Jack was going to show. But, here he was. He wondered if it was his own doing or Bob and Alicia’s. 

“No, you weren’t.”

Kent smiled at Jack catching his lie. “Be nice to me, Jack. I’m hurt,” he said dramatically.

Jack’s eyes widened. “I forgot the painkiller.” He was ready to head back out the door.

“Just get it after dinner,” Kent said before Jack could even take a step away from his desk. “And dessert.”

Jack sighed loudly as he sat down. “I’m not eating dessert.”

“You are if you’re staying here.” Kent furrowed his brow as he watched Jack start to eat with his back to him. “And why are you so far away anyway?” He groaned as he tried to adjust his position. 

“Crisse, Kent, stop moving.”

Kent looked up at Jack and stared at him with wide eyes. He bit his lip to keep from smiling. Once the urge passed, he spoke. “Huh.” 

“What?” Jack made his way over and put his plate on the bed. He pulled Kent up to lean against the headboard more securely than he was earlier.

Kent kept staring at Jack. “I think that’s the first time you’ve actually said my name. My first name.”

“I’ve said your name before.” Jack grabbed his plate from Kent’s desk then moved to sit down at the edge of the mattress.

“I don’t think so.”

“You’ve been here for over two weeks,” Jack countered.

“I have,” Kent slowly, trying to figure out where Jack was going with that observation.

“I really haven’t said your name?” He had to have said it at least once.

“You might have." In the weeks that he’d been there, Jack must have said his name a few times, but all he could remember was Jack calling him Parse or nothing at all. “Don’t worry about it too much. Just blame this word spew on the pain.”

“Do you feel ill?”

“I’m fine.” Kent patted open area of the bed next to him. He smiled at him. “Sit. Eat your dinner.”

Jack moved to sit next to Kent. He rested his plate on his lap. “You too.”

The two of them sat on the bed and ate without saying a word to each other. They kept checking on each other to make sure they were actually eating.

Just as Jack finished his meal, Kent reached into his box of goodies and grabbed a cookie. He dropped it on Jack’s plate with a smirk. “It touched food. You can’t put it back in the box. You have to eat it.”

“You can eat it.”

Kent rolled his eyes. “Just eat the damn cookie, Jack.” He did not think it would be this difficult to make a person eat a cookie.

Jack raised his eyebrow. Kent sure was adamant about cookies. “Is it going to change my life?”

Kent laughed at the question. “Yes,” he replied as if it were the only answer to the question. Which it was. “That cookie will change your life.”

Kent finished up his plate, then focused all his attention on whether Jack was going to touch, much less eat the cookie. He held his breath when Jack picked it up and broke off a piece. 

Kent spent too much time watching Jack pop the piece into his mouth and chew. Then swallow. “So?” Kent asked after a few moments of silence. He would have to kill Jack and hide the body where no one would find it if he said anything bad about his mom’s cookies. 

Jack raised his eyebrow at Kent, contemplating teasing him. He decided against it. “It was a good cookie. I might even have one tomorrow.”

“Oh?” Kent said and smiled. He would save a few cookies for Jack and maybe even con him into eating other things his mom had sent. “I’ll count that as a victory.”

Jack ate the rest of the cookie and got off the bed. “I should bring everything downstairs. You want me to bring anything else down?”

Kent grabbed a cookie and put it on his stomach. He packed up the rest of his box and held it out to Jack. “Can you put the cream fridge? And tell your mom and dad that they’re welcome to some of the treats.”

Jack stacked the plates onto the tray table and tucked the box under his arm. “Yes. I’ll do that. You should get some rest.”

“It’s not like I have to wake up early. I’m out for about a week.” That was about how long it took for him to recover last time he was injured like this. Great. Just when Kent was gaining some momentum on the ice. 

“Get some rest, Kent. I expect you back out on the ice in a few days.”

“You got it,” Kent said. He watched as Jack gathered everything up and headed out of Kent’s room.

He could’ve sworn that he saw Jack reach into the box and take another cookie as the door shut. Kent couldn’t stop smiling as he reached over and grabbed his phone. He read through all of the texts his mom had send him throughout the day, feeling a sense of relief as he did.

He was ready to fall back asleep, but he knew he would have to send her a text before he did.

 **To: A+ Mom**  
(9:34 PM): Remember when you said your cookies changed lives?  
(9:35 PM): Also, please send the most Canadian cake you can think of.


	4. Chapter 4

It took Kent three days to be able to move around without feeling too much pain around his waist. He did have a bit of a setback on Jack’s birthday when he saw the cake his mom sent. The moose and poutine decorated monstrosity made him laugh so hard his abs hurt enough that he needed to lie down for the rest of the night.

Jack did eat birthday cake with him in his room after helping him up to it. 

Jack ate an entire slice while he told Kent about what Keats, Tuber, and Calvin had done at the pick-up games while Kent stayed home to help Alicia cook. The antics made Kent smile. He couldn’t wait to get back on the ice with them. Once Jack finished filling Kent in on what he missed, he left Kent alone. It gave Kent the chance to text his mom.

 **To: A+ Mom  
** (10:54 PM): You need to give Cadence a raise for how she decorated that cake.   
(10:54 PM): Jack loved it, by the way.

 **From: A+ Mom  
** (10:56 PM): I doubt that.

 **To: A+ Mom  
** (10:57 PM): He ate an entire slice.  
(10:59 PM): Okay. Maybe I loved the moose way more than he did. It was hilarious.

 **From: A+ Mom  
** (11:01 PM): If Cadence gets a raise, it’s coming out of your allowance.

 **To: A+ Mom  
** (11:03 PM): Okay. Maybe the moose wasn’t that good. :p  
(11:03 PM): Also, thanks for sending the DS.

 **From: A+ Mom  
** (11:04 PM): I already beat all your high scores. And you better not be using that thing all night. You should be getting ready to sleep. 

They sent a few more texts back and forth before Kent finally fell asleep.

Jack had given him exactly one week of rest before he was knocking on the door at six in the morning and telling him to get dressed. His tone had changed since the first practice. 

Kent’s day always started with knock on the door at six in the morning and Jack asking if he was all right. Kent would lift his shirt and see the bruising was smaller and smaller. The pain was mostly gone. Jack would leave for the rink and Kent would use the time to get ahead on his school work.

At the end of his rest week, he was ready to get back on the ice and skate. 

They had two days of drills and conditioning to bring Kent back up to speed before they jumped back into pick up games.

By then, the color was gone.

Kent wanted to skate circles around those guys. There were a few more of Jack’s friends the second time and Kent was all for it. They were all so skilled and it helped Kent judge if he could keep up. It also helped to be able to see them play before he came across them during the season.

Everything seemed to be going okay, but he noticed no one tried to check him his first few shifts on the ice. Apparently everyone was afraid to because of what happened the last time. It went on like that until Kent checked Flock into the boards hard enough that he fell to the ice. After that, the guys started really playing.

Kent didn’t get as much playing time as their first pick up game, but it was a good amount for his first time back on the ice after an injury.

At the end of the game he was covered in sweat, received pats on his pads, and was called a ‘speedy little fucker’ more times than not. It was a successful day.

They spent the next four days playing pick up games to start the day. If the rink was available at the end, they would play when everyone had cleared out. Kent was playing a lot of hockey and he was glad for the taste of what life was going to be like in the Q. 

If he made the team. 

But he didn’t want to think about that just yet.

On the fifth day no hockey was played and Kent and Jack spent it packing their things for the long drive to Rimouski. 

The two of them were going to be in a car together. 

For at least six hours. 

Kent had many thoughts of how that would go.

The next morning Kent and the Zimmermanns were up before the sun so they could beat traffic. Kent slept for the first few hours. He only woke up to get some breakfast. 

He spent the next few hours with his textbooks in his lap or at his feet. He tried to get ahead of the homework deadlines he’d eventually have during the school year.

Jack looked over every now and then to see what Kent was doing, but Kent was in his own world. Jack would then turn his attention back to the DVD player in his lap as he watched hockey videos. 

Kent’s eyes started to hurt two hours later and he had to put the textbooks down. He grabbed his DS and spent the rest of the leg playing Harvest Moon.

He looked up when they slowed down. He thought they had arrived, but they pulled up to a restaurant. They sat, had a good meal, then were on the road for the last few miles of the trip. Kent continued to playing his DS. He was going to have a talk with his mom about beating his Cooking Mama scores after they settled in Rimouski.

They arrived at a huge house a little after three o’clock in the afternoon. Bob was the first person out of the car. He walked up to the front door, knocked, and, when the door opened, was pulled into a hug by a huge man.

“They know each other?” Kent asked watching the two men through the windshield. Kent again, was out of the loop. He had to talk with his mom about keeping things from him because she had to know about this living situation too.

Jack didn't answer his question. “Grab your things.” He opened his door and stepped out of the car.

“They played hockey together a few decades ago,” Alicia said. 

“He doesn’t look familiar.”

“Evan DeChambeau.”

Kent put his things into his backpack with his brow furrowed. He was a huge fan of Bad Bob, He had taken to knowing most of the players that were in his orbit. “He played in the NHL?” Kent read about a lot of the people in the NHL, past and present, and he couldn’t recall that name. 

“They played together on a Junior A team. Evan went to play overseas while Bob went to the NHL.”

Well, that made sense. He stepped out of the car and followed Jack and Alicia into the house. They were greeted by Evan along with a woman he introduced as his wife. And another person.

“Is that a baby?" Kent and Jack said at the same time when they saw the woman with a little girl in her arms. While Kent sounded excited, Jack sounded less than thrilled.

“I’m Mahealani. This is Joslyn Melenanianuhea. We call her Mele. Say hi, Mele,” she said, waving her little hand. Mele pulled her hand away and started waving on her own with a big smile on her face.

Kent’s eyes went wide and it took everything in him not to make a sound. “Hi,” he said, stepping forward. “Can I hold her?” he asked. He turned his attention to the little girl. “Can I hold you, Mele?” he asked holding his arms out. He didn’t hide his excitement as she leaned over and grabbed onto his shirt. “Hi!” he said. “Oh my gosh, you’re so adorable. Tell me things.” He couldn’t stop smiling as Mele started patting his cheeks. “My cheeks? Your cheeks are so much cuter.”

Jack rolled his eyes at Kent trying to have a conversation with a baby. “Kent. We have to bring our things in.”

“Right, right,” Kent said, not taking his eyes off of Mele. “Do you want to help?” he asked her. Her response was to pull on Kent’s lips and kick her legs.

“Don’t worry about that,” Mahea said. “Jacob! Joshua! Jordan!” Two young boys, and a boy about Jack and Kent’s age made their way downstairs. “Go help auntie and uncle bring the boys’ stuff inside.”

Auntie? Uncle? Was Jack related to this family?

“We got dis, auntie,” the oldest boy said. He smiled when he received a hug from Alicia.

“Nice to see you, Konani,” Alicia said.

The taller boy stepped away from Alicia and got a hug from Bob. “Uncle.”

“You’re still growing,” Bob said with a laugh. “You didn’t get this from your father. Or your mother.”

Kent watched the boys walk out of the house with Jack following after them. He couldn’t let them grab everything while he was busy playing with Mele. “I have to get my stuff, okay? We’ll finish this conversation when I’m done.” He walked over to Mahea and handed Mele off to her.

He walked outside and up to the oldest brother. He was tall. Taller than Jack. He couldn’t stop staring at him. Especially since the guy was standing outside in just basketball shorts and messy hair like he had just woken up. He wasn’t even wearing any form of footwear.

“I’m Kent.”

“Jacob,” he introduced, heading to the back of the Zimmermann car. “Or Konani.”

“Which one do you want me to call you?” Kent asked as Jack opened the back of the car and gave a bag to each of the younger boys.

“If you can say Konani, you can use it.” Konani looked at his brothers when they started fighting over a bag and rolled his eyes. “Keahi. Oh my god. It’s one bag.” He watched Keahi push a bag into his brother’s chest. “The taller one over there is Joshua. The smaller one is Keahi.”

“Nice to meet you,” Kent said when the younger brothers walked passed them and into the house. Jack had two bags in his hands and walked past them after nodding to Konani.

“Nice to meet you too. So, which stuff is yours and which is Jack’s?” Konani asked as they walked to the back of the car. 

Kent saw that the rest of the bags were his own. “It’s not all going to the same room?”

“No,” Konani said with a laugh. “Of course not. You have your own room. You two will be across the hall from each other.”

Kent was surprised, then again he wasn’t. The house was huge. “We’re not relocating anyone, right?” Sharing a room with Jack would probably drive both of them up the wall, but Kent didn’t want anyone to lose their room because they were there. 

“Nah. We have enough rooms to open a bed and breakfast.” Konani pulled a suitcase out and set it on the ground. “The twins don’t like being separated. I have my own room. And we still have like three rooms extra after that.”

The families he knew in Canada were two-for-two living in mansions. “So, you play hockey like your dad?” He looked big enough to be a hockey player.

“Hell no,” Konani said, grabbing a bag.

“Why hell no?” Kent reached over and took the bag from Konani, putting the strap over his shoulder. 

“Basketball and volleyball all the way for me,” Konani said.

“Really?” Kent stared at Konani. His height was definitely an advantage in both of those sports. 

“Yeah. Just never fell in love with it. And I really wanted to, you know? I wanted it to be something I could talk to dad about. But he never pressured me into it, which was nice,” Konani said with a shrug. He handed Kent his hockey bag. “But one of the twins will probably play hockey. If not, dad is putting all his hopes in Mele.”

At the mention of Mele, Kent smiled. “I’m already her biggest fan.”

“You’ve had one minute of interaction with her,” Konani said. He grabbed the last bag and shut the trunk.

Kent let out a sigh. “Greatest minute of my life,” he said.

Konani brushed his fingers through his hair before he picked up the suitcase he set on the ground. “You’re a weird guy, you know that?”

“Part of my charm.” 

“Come on,” Konani said. He led the way inside and up the stairs. He pointed to the doors. “This is the twins room. Mine is right here. Jack will be right there.” Konani stopped at a door and opened it for Kent. “And this is your room for the next year or more, depending on when you get drafted.”

When. Not if. 

Kent needed to make the team first.

The room was about the same size as his room was at the Zimmermann’s. The bed was already made. There was a desk there. The closet was huge. This room was his. For now. “I… I should start unpacking.”

“Go ahead,” Konani said. “You don’t have anything else to do today. You should probably get some sleep.”

“Sleeping in a bed would be nice.” Although his midsection was healed, he felt some aches after sitting in a car for hours. “I’ll unpack first. Not really tired, just yet. Maybe I’ll hang out with your sister.”

“She’s a baby.”

“I’ll hang out with you too if you’re jealous.”

Konani let out a short laugh and crossed his arms over his chest. “Jack must’ve really loved you when you first met.”

It took Kent a moment to realize he had been staring at Konani. He dropped his gaze and blushed. He would not deny that Konani was a good looking guy. “It wasn’t love at first sight. But he loves me now.”

“I’m sure you won him over,” Konani said. “Go unpack and sleep. I think we’re gonna be barbecuing tonight, so rest up.”

“And then tomorrow we have an early practice.” Kent said that more to himself than to Konani.

“Welcome to the Q.”

“So, you house players every year?” Kent asked before Konani could leave.

“When I was younger, before the twins were born, we did it for a few years. Then the monsters came along and… well, you’ll get why we needed a break.”

“So, why start again? I mean, you have a new baby.” If that’s what stopped them last time, why wasn’t it stopping them now?

“She’s not that new.”

“Konani.”

“We know Jack. We have a big enough place to house both of you. And, now we have more babysitters.”

The first answer was the real reason. “There it is,” Kent said with a laugh. The setup was for Jack. Evan and Bob seemed close by the way they greeted each other. Jack and Konani seemed to be around the same age. Maybe Bob asked Evan to billet Jack when they found out where he would be playing. And Kent too since he promised Lydia that they’d keep an eye on him.

“So, are you and Jack actually related?” Kent followed up his question when he saw the confused look on Konani’s face. “You called Mrs. Zimmermann auntie.”

“Been doing that since we were young,” Konani said. “And it’s a Hawaii thing. Everyone is auntie and uncle. So Jack calls mom, auntie. I call them auntie and uncle. No blood relation, but that doesn’t really matter.” 

“I knew that, actually,” Kent said as he remembered his trip to the islands all those years back.

“Unpack. If you’re still awake after that, head down. We can hang out. But dad and mom are going to make sure you take a nap later.”

“Really?” Kent said, his tone incredulous. Naps weren’t really a thing he’d done for a long time. 

“You and Jack are their responsibility now. They know how hard the first few weeks are going to be.” Konani watched Kent put a bag on his bed and open it. “Besides, you are recovering from an injury.” Before Kent could ask how Konani knew that, he continued speaking. “Mom has been talking to your mom. Your mom is super cool, by the way.”

“Dude. No talking about my mom.”

Konani rolled his eyes. “Unpack.”

Konani left Kent alone and Kent got to work unpacking his things. He didn’t have much he brought from New York to Montreal to Rimouski. It took him about an hour, and he still had a little bit more energy to burn. He walked out of his room and was about to knock on Jack’s door. He stopped himself thinking Jack was probably asleep. 

He headed downstairs and saw Konani in the living room with his brothers. “Is Mele sleeping?”

“That’s your first question?” Konani asked. He patted Joshua on his arm. “Go get Kent a drink.”

“No, no, I got it,” Kent said before Joshua could stand up. He stepped into the kitchen and saw Mahea holding the baby girl. Mahea walked around the kitchen with Mele while trying to put together a few things for dinner. “Can I help?”

Mahea turned around quickly, not realizing that anyone was in the kitchen with him. “Kent. Hello. I thought you was sleeping. You want something to drink?”

“I’m okay, Miss DeChambeau.”

“Call me auntie.” Mahea said nothing else and made her way to the fridge to grab a water. She laughed when Mele grabbed for it. “Okay, you can give it to Kent.” She walked over and watched as Mele leaned forward to chew on the cap. “I’m sorry, Kent. Let me grab you another one.”

“It’s okay… auntie. It’s still good. I can hold her if you want. Or I can help in the kitchen. I can prep if you need me to.”

“How about you hang out with Mele. She’s supposed to be napping, but I think you and Jack showing up got her really excited.” The closer she got to Kent, the more Mele leaned over. “Okay, honey girl. Okay. I think she wants you to hold her.”

“Fine by me.” He took the baby girl before she leaned too far. “Hey. You’re my best friend now, Mele, okay?” he said. He smiled at Mahea before heading back into the living room. Apparently, Jack wasn’t taking a nap like he thought. “Your brother and Jack are so uncool.” 

“Are you going to be our babysitter, Kent?” Evan asked, walking down the stairs.

“I could, if you needed me to,” Kent said, sitting down on the couch next to Jack with Mele in his lap. She immediately reached up and grabbed at his chain. “Hey, hey. Gentle,” he said in soft tones. He moved the water bottle from his lap onto the coffee table.

“You have practice,” Jack said. “And school.”

“Online classes, Jack,” Kent said, not looking at him. “I am a multitasker. I can multitask.” He pulled his chain out of his shirt and jingled it in front of Mele. He let it go and let her grab it. 

“You’ll wear yourself thin,” Jack said.

Kent finally looked over at his teammate. “Jack. What are the chances I’m getting any playing time in this league. That I’ll even make the team? I’m not like you. I’m not like the guys we’ve been playing pick up games against.”

“No, you’re not,” Jack said to agree with him. “And that’s a good thing.”

“Means I won’t get playing time,” Kent said.

“It means that you will.”

“Jack,” Kent said with a sigh.

“Kent,” Jack said the same exact way.

Kent was about to argue back when Mele decided to lean over and headbutt his chest while chewing on his medal. Maybe she was finally getting tired. “Sh… no fighting in front of the baby.” He smiled when Mele nuzzled into him. “Well, you need a nap.” He leaned back on the couch and moved Mele to lay on his chest. “I might need a nap too.”

“Go ahead. I’ll take Mele,” Mahea said, walking in to take the baby from Kent. “You had a long day. And you both have practice in the morning. We’ll wake you for dinner.”

“Thank you, Mrs. DeChambeau,” Kent said.

“What did I say to call me?”

“Thank you, auntie.” He looked at Jack who looked ready to head upstairs with him. “Are you staying with your mom and dad until they head back down to Montreal?”

“Why would I do that?” Jack asked. 

“I have no idea,” Kent said with a shrug. He was close to his mom. Maybe his relationship with her was different, but she was all he had. “You taking a nap too?”

“After I finish unpacking.” Jack headed toward the stairs.

Kent followed after him staying a few steps behind. “Need help?”

“I really don’t need help unpacking my underwear,” Jack said with a laugh. 

“Jack, I’m not gonna tell anyone you’re still rocking the tighty whities.”

Jack pushed Kent once they got to the top of the stairs. “Go take your nap, Parse,” Jack said.

“You know what? I will. Thank you for giving me permission.” Kent made his way into the bedroom before Jack could check him into the wall.

He climbed into bed and pulled his phone out to text his mom that they had arrived in Rimouski. Kent sighed, realizing he was even further away from her now. 

He could do this.

He had to.

He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He grabbed his chain and tucked it back into his shirt. He would clean it after his nap.

Everything was about to come at an even faster pace.

He needed to rest before it hit him. He fell asleep with at least ten things to worry about on his mind. 

Kent woke up a few hours later with a baby on his chest, slapping his mouth. He opened his eyes and smiled. “Hey, you,” he said reaching up to hold her. He looked over and saw Konani standing at his bedside. “And, you. I guess.”

Konani rolled his eyes and gave his sister a rice cracker. “Come on. Auntie and uncle are here.”

Everyone headed outside for a barbecue. Kent spent most of the night with Mele in his lap eating and talking with the DeChambeaus. He watched the brothers play some yard games and joined in for a round or two. It was a nice, relaxing evening. Kent and Jack turned in early since they were still tired from the drive up and had a wake up call in a few hours.

Kent talked to his mom for about half an hour before he had to sleep. It wasn’t easy falling asleep in a new place.

The next morning, he and Jack woke up at 5:30, dressed, ate breakfast, then were in the car with Konani. He would be their ride in the morning since he could drop them off before his own morning practices.

Although Kent knew a few things about the Q and the CHL, his knowledge did not prepare him for the sight at the rink. A few dozen guys stared at him as he followed Jack into the stands. Or, maybe they were staring at Jack. That made more sense.

A few of them came up to Jack to talk. They knew who he was because of Bob or because of how dominant Jack had been since he could pick up a stick. Jack didn’t say much to them. He was in hockey mode now. They were all excited Jack was there. Jack could help them win.

Jack introduced Kent to some of them before the coaches came out to stand in front of everyone. Kent sat toward the edge of the crowd between Jack and another player. 

The coaches stood at the front and waited for the talk to die down. Then they introduced themselves.

General Manager and Head Coach Gallagher. Assistant Coach Parker. Assistant Coach Brassard.

They were equally inspiring and no nonsense. They weren’t going to accept anything less than the players’ best. These coaches were going to push them. Hard and far. 

Kent looked around and realized he would have to beat out about half of the guys just to make the team. His odds didn’t look promising. He didn’t notice the coaches had stopped talking and that he was staring at the ice until Jack tapped him on the arm. Everyone was heading to the locker rooms. “Yeah?” Kent said softly.

“You look nervous.”

“Are you not?” The look on Jack’s face told Kent that Jack wasn’t nervous at all. 

“Where is the cocky Kent from the pick up games?”

“This is different. This is a tryout. You all got at least two inches and twenty pounds on me. And you’ve been playing in Canada. This is in your DNA.”

“Are you okay?” Jack asked.

Jack’s concern surprised Kent. Kent should have lied, but that would’ve been unfair. “There are a lot of guys here. I could get cut.”

“You won’t get cut,” Jack said with a lot more confidence than he should’ve had about the situation. 

“I could.” Kent had so much stacked against him. He stood up to head to the locker room with the rest of the team. Jack was a few steps behind him.

“Kent.” He waited for Kent to stop walking before continuing to speak. “You won’t get cut.”

“I have to beat out like fifteen guys,” Kent said. “I… I’m the only rookie from the states.” It was awkward to be put on the spot by the coaches because of it. Still, when the coaches introduced him, he waved before everyone turned their attention back to the front. “I’m only person from the states here.”

“Calm down,” Jack said. “You’ll make the team.” 

“You can’t know that.” Kent let out a sigh and looked out at the ice one more time before turning back to the locker rooms. “I’m the one that can see the future, not you.”

“What do you see then?”

“You make the team.”

“And you?” Jack stared at Kent, waiting for an answer. He let out a sigh when it didn’t come soon enough. “If you don’t make it, then I’ll—”

Kent’s eyes went wide. “Stop,” he said, putting a hand up. He had no idea how Jack was going to finish that sentence, and he didn’t want to know. “Nope. No. Just… no. If I don’t, then it’s on me.”

Jack grabbed Kent’s shoulder and turned him so Kent couldn’t look away. “You will make this team,” he said. “You are better than at least 12 of these guys here. I know this. They don’t. Just play the way you’ve been playing and you’ll be fine.” 

Kent sighed. This was the nicest and most reassuring Jack had ever been to him. “Okay.”

“The team needs someone like you.”

“You don’t know that.” Kent could be convinced, though. 

Jack was hockey. Before he was even drafted by Rimouski, he probably researched the team and watched all the tapes. He probably knew every weakness the team had.

If Jack said that the team needed him, it meant something.

“I know I can play with you.”

Kent let out a laugh at that addition. So, it wasn’t really about the team. “Glad I’m beneficial to someone.” He could prop Jack up if he needed to.

“Play like I know you can play. We have this. You and me.”

Kent felt Jack squeeze his shoulders as he spoke. It helped. He looked up and nodded. “You and me,” he repeated softly. He then followed Jack into the locker room to change.

He and Jack were the last two out on the ice.

Then the drills started.

And before Kent knew it, they ended.

There were both good and bad takeaways from the first practice.

First. Kent was fast. And in much better condition that he thought he would be. He would have to thank Jack and Bob for that later. 

Second. Three hour practices were intense. Then food. And then conditioning for an hour and a half.

Third. Dead legs.

Fourth. Dead everything.

At least he wasn’t the only one who seemed to be suffering. 

When they were done with conditioning, Jack and Kent found Mahea and Evan waiting outside in their SUV. They loaded their things into the back and got in on either side of Mele’s carseat.

Mele kicked her legs and clapped when she saw Kent.

“Hey, you,” he said with a smile. He put his hand in front of her when she reached up to grab something. “Mele. I need like an ounce of the energy you got,” he said with a tired laugh. Mele babbled to Kent, pulling at his fingers. “Yeah, yeah. I know. Our coaches kicked our a… butts today.” He looked over at Jack who seemed okay after the practice. “Well, my butt.”

Mele squealed, then laughed.

“She’s laughing at you,” Jack said.

“She can sense weakness.”

 Jack looked over at Kent. “Seriously. How are you?”

“I survived day one,” Kent said. “I think it’ll be okay.” He would definitely be asleep before 10. That meant he’d have to do as much homework as he could before he passed out. “You look like you came out of it unscathed.”

“I've trained harder,” Jack said. “This was an easier practice.”

Kent had to laugh because of course he’s trained harder. “Way to make a guy feel good, Zimmermann. Always so reassuring.”

“I’ll be more reassuring once you make the team.”

Kent let out a sigh. “Jack.” He wasn’t going to let this go, was he?

“I’m not letting you get cut.”

There it was. “Not letting me?” Kent looked down at Mele who was still playing with his hand. “Jack’s a little bossy, huh?” Kent tickled her stomach so that she would let out a sound making it seem like she was agreeing with him. “See.” Kent looked up in time to see Jack roll his eyes.

They arrived back at the DeChambeau residence a few minutes after that. Kent tried to pull his fingers from Mele’s hold, but she tightened her grip. “You’re a strong little thing, aren’t you?” Kent pulled his fingers out of her grasp and Mele looked offended and ready to cry because of it. “No, no, no. I’m sorry. I just…” He reached down to take her out of her carseat before she could actually start crying. “Don’t cry. I’m sorry. My bad. So my bad.” He carefully picked her up and held her to his chest. “I’m so mean.”

Kent stepped out and went to grab his things from the back.

“I can take her,” Evan said, reaching out to Mele. She let out a sound of protest. “Or not. I think you’re stuck with her for a little bit.”

“That’s fine,” he said. He grabbed his bag and put it over his shoulder after adjusting his hold on her. He set his bag down where Jack put his once inside the house and walked to the couch to sit down. “Clingy baby,” he said with a laugh.

Mele was in a much better mood. When they settled on the couch, she reached up for his chain.

Kent looked up to see Konani walking down the stairs. Again, just in basketball shorts. “You allergic to shirts?” he asked with his eyebrow raised.

Konani made his way down the stairs and saw Kent pull the chain out from under his shirt. “Hey. You’re still in one piece.”

“You sure you’re not a hockey player with chirps like that?” Kent asked.

“Definitely.” Konani said. “Volleyball is way more fun than hockey.”

“You take that back,” Kent said, using Mele’s hand to point at her brother. “Hockey is way better than volleyball.” He was a lot biased. He tickled Mele’s stomach again to get her to laugh. “She said I’m right.”

“She sucks on her own toes. She doesn’t know anything,” Konani said in a deadpan tone.

“I won’t let you talk about my best friend like that,” Kent said. “Better watch yourself, Konani. She knows where you sleep.”

Konani walked over and took Mele from Kent. “Come here, baby girl.” He lifted his sister up and kissed her belly. “Come on. Let’s see what mom and dad are making.”

“Do they need help?” Kent asked, trying to push himself off the couch. His legs weren’t cooperating the way he had hoped.

“Sit your butt down. You can help once you get your hockey legs under you. For now, you rest up. Because you’re passing out in like three hours.” 

“Two and a half,” Kent said.

“Not better,” Konani replied, then headed into the kitchen.

Jack plopped down next to him after disappearing for a few minutes. “You’re really that tired.”

Kent raised his eyebrow as he tried to read Jack’s expression. “Don’t give me that look, Jack. I’ve been back like a week before I’m pushed so hard that I could’ve thrown up like three times today. This isn’t like my other teams.”

Jack understood. This was the Juniors. One step away from the NHL. It was supposed to be intense. “You showing up tomorrow?”

“I didn't think you’d let me not show up.”

“I wouldn’t,” Jack said. 

“Thanks,” Kent said said a smile.

After dinner, Kent and Jack talked for half an hour with the DeChambeaus before heading upstairs. They walked up together and Jack lingered in the hallway long enough to watch Kent open his door.

Kent turned around to see Jack watching him. “What’s up?”

“Are you really okay? You were injured a week ago.”

Kent smiled. “Just got my ass handed to me today, Jack. I’m fine. I’ll be in a little bit of pain tomorrow and the day after that. But then I’ll be ready.” 

“Good,” Jack said, smiling back. “Get some rest. Try not to stay up too late, even if you have homework.”

“Nothing due yet. Just trying to stay ahead, you know?” Kent said. He looked at Jack and saw he hadn’t opened his door yet. “Good night, Jack. Make sure I get out of bed tomorrow.”

“Even if I have to carry you.”

“Don’t do that.”

“I won’t. Good night, Kent.” 

“Night, Jack.” Kent went into his bedroom and plopped on his bed. He had a few chapters left in his summer reading so he picked it up to try and get a few pages read. He made it through two before his eyes decided that reading wasn’t in the cards. He thought about turning off his light, but his body didn’t want to leave the bed.

He fell asleep with the lights on.

The next morning, Jack woke him up by shaking his leg. Kent tried to get away from it by rolling over.  His body hurt like he expected. “I hate you,” Kent mumbled, trying to swat at Jack’s arm. 

“Did you know that you snore?”

“No, Jack. I didn’t know.”

“Come on. You have to eat something. We have to go.”

Kent ate his breakfast, then was out the door in half an hour.

Practice was the same as the day before. Drills. Drills. More drills. The only difference was instead of conditioning after lunch it was weightlifting.

The next two days were the same alternating conditioning and weightlifting.

By the fifth day of practice, Kent had his hockey legs under him. And just in time for scrimmages after lunch.

Kent and Jack were put on the same team, but not on the same line. The coaches wanted to see what Jack could do, and they had to move people around to see who he could play with. The coaches and the rest of the team were not going to treat Jack like another rookie. 

They put Jack on the first line as center with two veterans. They put Kent on the third line as a right winger with another rookie and a veteran. 

Kent sat on the bench with his linemates and watched Jack line up at center ice. He was up against someone two years older than them and had been on the team since he was sixteen.He was nervous for Jack, but he was excited for him to show the team what he could do. This scrimmage was much more important than the pick up games they had been playing. “Let’s go, Jack!” he called out. “You got this.” 

He was sure Jack didn’t hear him. He could tell Jack was in Hockey Jack mode.

Jack won the face off.

Kent watched and waited for his line to get called. 

Kent’s first chance on the ice was four minutes into the period. He jumped onto the ice the second that his teammates get back on the bench.

He looked at the guys that were with him as they fanned out on the ice. He tried to remember their names, but it wasn’t easy. There was a chance a lot of them wouldn't be on the team once the season started. Himself included.

Fifteen cuts.

That’s what he had on his mind as he skated after the puck to check someone into the boards. 

His center got the puck and skated down the ice. Kent stayed with him on the wing.

While the players were treating the scrimmage like a real game, the coaches were using it to see which pieces fit together. The coaches and the players weren’t expecting perfection, but they had to start putting lines together for upcoming preseason games. 

His first shift was average. They stayed on the other team’s side of the ice for most of the shift, moving the puck around to set up a few shots. He even had a few shots on goal before the other team finally got the puck and skated down the ice. Kent and his line skated back on defense.

Kent mostly stayed with the puck handler, then drifted back when they set up for a shot. The rebound came off to him and he skated down the ice. He looked to the bench and saw the line heading back for a change. He saw Jack jump over the boards and get back on the ice. He dumped the puck knowing Jack’s path.

He got back to the bench and saw Jack get to the puck and take a shot. The puck sailed right over the goalie’s shoulder, hitting the back of the neck. Kent jumped up. “Atta boy, Jack!”

He sat back down to hear the coach rearrange the lines. They moved Kent to a line with someone who just played with Jack, and another who was on the fourth line.

The entire scrimmage continued that way with the coaches sending every different combination out on the ice.

It wasn’t until the third period that he and Jack were on the same line. They were put together with a veteran. Booth. Or something.

The three of them got onto the ice and Booth made it to the puck first. 

Kent and Jack skated to get open. Booth passed the puck to Jack who skated around with it. He sent the puck along the board to Kent. The three of them weaved around, passing the puck back and forth. Kent ended up with it at the end. He saw Booth skating up an open area and sent the puck over. He and Jack had connected on that pass at least a dozen times in pick up games.

Unfortunately, the pass was intercepted.

The three of them skated back to play defense. One of the d-men checked someone and got the puck back. He sent it down the ice for a line change.

Booth came up to Kent on the bench, glaring. “What kind of pass was that?” he yelled.

“A good one,” Kent countered. He connected on that pass more times than not.

“So good it got intercepted.”

Jack stepped forward, putting himself between Kent and Booth. “<<Maybe you should’ve come to the pass instead of waited for it to come to you.>>”

“<<It was a shit pass,>>” Booth growled.

“<<Maybe you’re a shit player. Come to the pass next time,>>” Jack said. That was his captain voice.

Kent looked up and listened to the two of them fight in French. He watched them get really close and saw Jack’s hand tighten around his stick. He was ready to throw a punch. Kent grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him back then put himself in the middle of the taller people. He tensed when Jack glared at him. “We good?”

“Yeah,” Jack said, sitting down. “Just pass the puck to someone who knows what to do with it.”

Thank someone up above Booth didn’t say anything else. 

Kent sat between the two of them because Booth looked ready to stab someone. Kent noticed he was the one in the line of fire. Great.

Five minutes later, they were back on the ice. Booth got the puck and tried a one timer, but it went off the goalie’s glove.

Kent and Jack skated back before Booth could. Kent met the person with the puck and played pest. He did his job well as the guy passed the puck to the person in Jack’s zone.

Jack picked it off with a back check and took off with Kent with him. Two on one. Jack passed it to Kent who gave it right back for Jack to take an open shot.

Goal.

Kent skated over and smiled. “There we go.”

Jack patted Kent on the top of his helmet. “Nice feed.” He smiled at the d-men who came over to celebrate. He saw Booth at the edge of the circle. “<<That’s how you come to the pass.>>”

Kent grabbed Jack’s arm. “Okay, tough guy. He got it.” He had no idea what Jack said, but it didn’t make Booth less angry.

The three of them got on the ice a few more times in the period. They ended the scrimmage with a win.

The team showered, dressed, and went to the stands to listen to the coaches like they had done before their first practice.

They told them the usual coach things. 

“Good job this week.”

“Be ready to push next week.”

“There will be a few cuts before the roadie to start the preseason.”

And Kent thought they were going to leave practice on a good note.

Jack and Kent walked out and saw Konani waiting for them. He walked to the back of his car and popped the trunk. “You two passing out early tonight?” Konani asked.

Kent was a little tired, but it didn’t compare to how he felt after the first two days of practices.“Nah. I can probably do a few pages of homework, or maybe some other stuff. I’m good. You?” Kent looked at Jack after he loaded his bag.

“I’m feeling good,” Jack said putting his bag next to Kent’s.

“Good,” Konani said. He shut the the trunk and looked at the two of them. “There’s a party later. You in?”

That sounded like a lot of fun. “Jack?”

“We shouldn’t.”

Kent let out a disappointed sigh, but he didn’t expect a different answer. “Right. We shouldn’t.” He needed to recover. And he had homework. Though, it would’ve been nice to go out and meet new people that weren’t hockey players.

Konani smiled. “Okay. No pressure. We’re eating at home first, then if you change your minds, let me know. It’s not too far from the house. And it won’t go too late.”

“We’ll think about it,” Kent said, looking at Jack. He smiled when Jack nodded. That wasn’t a no.

Konani nodded and bit his cheek to keep himself from smirking. Well, those two were definitely attached at the hip now. “Come on. Get your hockey butts in the car.”

“He’s talking about you, hockey butt,” Kent said to Jack with a smirk.

“Maybe if you ate more protein and stopped half assing leg day he’d be talking about you.”

“My half ass is pretty good.”

“Both of you get your entire asses int he car or I’m leaving without you!” Konani got into the driver seat and Jack got into the passenger. Kent climbed into the back behind Jack.

“He’s so angry,” Kent said as he put on his seatbelt.

“You are both uninvited to the party,” he said as he pulled out of the parking spot and drove them all home home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please check the updated tags of the fic. There's a bit of swearing in this chapter.

When the three of them arrived home, they put their things away and helped set the table for dinner. Mele was in her walker and kept chasing them around as dinner finished up. “Easy on the achilles, Mele,” Kent said with a laugh every time she would run into the back of his legs.

Mele raised her hands up and opened and closed her hands, telling Kent she wanted him to pick her up. “Okay.” Kent bent down and lifted her out of the walker. “Hey,” he said with a laugh when she patted his cheeks. He started to kick the walker toward the living room with every step he took.

“I got it,” Jack said, picking it up.

Kent smiled and followed Jack into the living room. “You do anything exciting today, Mele?” She babbled and waved her hands around, accidentally hitting him in the face a few times. “Right, right. Sounds like fun. And then what?”

“You know she’s not actually saying anything, right?” Jack said.

“Of course she is. We just can’t understand her. You have to encourage conversation. Because she needs to learn words.” Kent smiled at Mele. “So, what else did you do? Did you eat bananas today? I should’ve eaten bananas today.” Kent saw Jack still watching them. “Talk to her.”

“What would I say?”

“Anything.” He smirked when Mele stared at Jack. “She’s waiting for you to say something. Just talk about hockey.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Kent was about to roll his eyes but stopped when Mele began babbling again, waving her arms around. “She wants to know about skating. And why aren’t you happy.”

“I am happy. We played well today. Made a lot of good plays. The team is—“

Kent’s eyes went wide and he let out a laugh. “Jack. Holy shit. This isn’t an interview.” He looked at Mele who gummy grinned at Jack. “We’ll work on that, huh?”

Almost an hour later, they gathered around the dinner table to eat. It was one of Kent’s favorite parts of the day. The family was such an interesting dynamic compared to his own and the Zimmermanns. He enjoyed listening to Keahi and Joshua talk about their day and he liked hearing Konani talk about his own practices.

Kent and Jack washed the dishes since it was their day to do so. When they finished, they went into the living room to watch the twins battle in Mario Kart. Kent was ready to join, but Konani shook his head to tell him to stay away.

It took two races to see why.

The angrier the twins got at each other, the more Kent was entertained.

At around 9:30, Kent and Jack headed upstairs to their rooms. Konani followed and looked at them stand in their doorways. He waited for someone to say something. “So,” Konani said after less than a minute. “Party?”

Kent’s eyes went to Jack. He was sure that Jack would say no since he was usually asleep by 10. At least that’s what he assumed. And Jack didn’t seem like the type to like to go out and party. “You want to?” He felt bad about wanting to go, even without Jack.

Jack looked at Kent. “What do you want to do?”

“It could be fun.”

Konani looked back and forth between the two of them. That exchange told him nothing. They were going to figure this out without him. “Okay. Well, I’m gonna go change. You two can… do whatever you two do.” Konani walked into his room and shut the door behind him.

“So. Are we going?” Kent asked. “If you don’t want to, we don’t have to.” 

“We could for a little bit, right? Konani said it was close.”

That sounded reasonable. And like they were going. They could go out, meet a few people, and see what life in Rimouski was like. Kent walked into his room and changed out of his after practice clothes and into some jeans and a nice shirt. He walked out of his room and saw Jack standing in a hallway dressed in a red flannel and jeans. “Huh,” he said.

“What?”

“You look like you’re about to chop wood,” Kent said with a smile.

“Is… is that a euphemism?”

“What? No. You just look like a lumber… jack." Kent frowned.  That was too easy. He was better than that.

Konani walked out of his room wearing a long sleeved shirt, jeans, and a beanie. He looked the two of them over and smirked. “Cute. Okay. Let’s go.” He wanted to leave before they changed their minds. He led the way downstairs. “Mom! We’re going!”

“Okay! Be careful! Call me if you need anything!” she yelled from her room upstairs.

“Yeah, I will!”

“And watch over Jack and Kent!”

“I will. Love you!”

“Love you!”

“Come on,” Konani said, leading the way to his car. He drove down the street and they arrived at their location less than fifteen minutes later. There were already a lot of cars parked on both sides of the street. He was the first out of the car.

Kent stepped out and was a little overwhelmed. He never went to many parties back in New York. He turned his attention to Jack who looked like he didn’t want to be there. “Come on, man. It could be fun.”

Konani walked around the car to stand in front of them. “Go in. Get a few drinks. Meet some people. If you guys wanna head out early, let me know.”

“You driving us home?” Kent asked. 

“Nah. Minty’s the D squared. I cover my bases,” Konani said. “Come on. Let’s head inside before it starts getting too crazy.”

Kent looked over at Jack and saw some hesitation. “We’ll meet you there, Konani.”

“I’ll be in the kitchen,” Konani said. He looked up and saw a group of people walking into the house. “I’ll see you in there.” Konani slid his hands into his pocket and ran across the yard. “Shine! Kirkland! Hold up.”

Kent laughed as Konani threw his arms around the girl and boy and disappeared into the house. “He’s getting so drunk tonight,” he said with a laugh. He looked over at Jack and raised his eyebrow at him. “You good?”

“I don’t usually go out,” Jack said.

Kent didn’t either, but this could be good for them. He shrugged and leaned against Konani’s car. “I mean… it’s a little hard to go out and party when you’re in bed at nine every night.”

“I don’t sleep that early.”

“Jack, it’s cool,” Kent said with a laugh. “Your priority is hockey. Once practices get more intense, you’ll look like a freaking genius for sleeping as early as you do.”

“You’ll be here once they become that intense,” Jack said with a smirk.

“That’s the plan.”

Kent looked up and watched more and more people head into the house. Jack didn’t look ready to join them. He ran his fingers through his hair before sliding his hands into his pockets. “You gonna tell me what you said to Booth today?”

Jack shook his head. “It’s not important.” 

“You said it to a vet.”

“One year, Kent. He’s only been in the league one year. I would’ve been there that long if it weren’t for my birthday.”

Kent still couldn’t believe that. Jack could have been dominating league last year, but they denied the petition to let him in at 15. Instead of going to the Q as soon as he turned 16, Jack stayed in the states for one more year. He couldn’t be too mad. It gave Kent a chance to play with him. 

“You’re probably the only rookie who could get away with that,” Kent said.

“It has nothing to do with being a rookie,” Jack said. “Just because he’s been there longer, doesn’t mean he gets to be an asshole to someone who will eventually be his teammate.”

“Well, the pass did get intercepted.”

“It was a good pass.”

“Is that what you were yelling at him about?”

“He’s not as good as he thinks he is.”

“How do you know this?” Kent looked at Jack and let out a short laugh. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.” He knew how. Jack knew every hockey related thing about his teammates. “You want to head inside?” he asked as he pushed himself off the car.

Jack stood up straight, staring at the door. “Sure,” he said.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“We can stay out here if you want. Or just… away from the crowd.” If Jack didn’t want to head inside yet, Kent would wait.

“It’s fine,” Jack said. “If you want to go inside, we can.”

“I could use a drink,” Kent suggested.

“Me too.”

Kent and Jack made their way into the house and headed straight to the kitchen. They looked around and saw Konani standing in the corner of it with a group of people.

“Hey! You guys made it!”

“You brought us here,” Kent said.

“Come here. Come here,” Konani said, waving them over. 

“I think he wants us to go over there,” Jack said.

Kent laughed as they walked over. He knew Konani was tall, but he seemed to tower over all the people around him. Konani’s personality seemed to draw everyone to him, and it made him stand out among everyone. 

“Okay,” Konani said when they were close enough. “Okay. So. Okay. These are my two hockey bros. That’s Kent. He’s from New York City!” He yelled the location out loud, causing everyone to turn to them. “Apparently he kicks ass on the ice. And Jack is definitely gonna own every single record in the hockey books once he breaks in. His dad is Bad Bob! Uncle Bob! And his mom won a freaking Oscar. Jack, you were in that movie, right?”

Jack tensed at all the attention in the kitchen turning to him. He wasn’t expecting Konani to say so much. “I…”

“Well,” one of Konani's friends said, seeing that Jack was uncomfortable. “Well, if that’s the case, let’s get these boys a drink.” 

“Brah,” Konani said after taking a sip from his cup. “Everyone’s gonna be friends now.”

Kent laughed. “How much has he had to drink?”

“He chugged a cup as soon as he got here,” one of the girls said. 

“And what’s in the cup,” Jack asked as someone put one in his hand. He looked into it as he swirled the drink.

Konani took a long gulp. “Dis guy, right here,” he said, pointing to the guy who was handing out and refilling cups. “It’s his creation. Dis is Aaron. He’s da best libero in Canada.”

“Konani,” Aaron said with a laugh. “Shut the fuck up, you lightweight.”

“You like shut up?” Konani said, but with no heat behind his words. “I’m just excited for friends.” He looked over and started pointing to the rest of his friends. “Dis guy. Dis is Minty. Always has da bess music. You like one song or one remix, go to him.”

“I may need a warm up playlist,” Kent said.

“Sure thing,” Minty said. “Just let me know.”

“Dis is Hannah,” Konani said about the girl under his arm. “Look at her glasses. So cute with da little flowers.” He pointed to the last two girls around them. “Izzie and Sammie.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jack and Kent said at the same time. 

“You too,” the girls replied.

“Okay,” Konani said. “Everyone got one cup in their hands. Minty, that better be water.” 

“Ginger ale.”

“Okay. Cool.” Konani raised his cup. Everyone around him did the same. “To the end of summer. To these guys kicking ass for Océanic. And to school starting up next week.”

“Worst toast ending ever,” Minty said, clinking everyone’s cup.

“And to Hannah’s cute glasses. They’re so cute,” Konani said.

Everyone smiled as they took a sip of whatever was in their cups. 

Kent’s eyes went wide after it went down. “Oh. That… could be dangerous,” he laughed.

“You two. Go mingle. Meet people. Flirt, yeah?” Konani said with a wink. 

“Horrible,” Kent said with a laugh. He raised his eyebrow as Sammie and Izzie walked over to him. “Hey.”

“So, you’re from New York?” Sammie asked.

“Yeah,” Kent said. 

“Can you tell us about it?” Sammie asked. “I’ve never been. Always wanted to go, though.” She put her hand on Kent’s arm, trying to guide him over to the couches.

Kent looked over at Jack who smirked as he sipped from his cup. “Come with?” he asked. 

Jack shook his head. “Go and do as Konani said.” He stepped out of the kitchen and leaned against the nearest wall. He watched the people move around the house while sipping from his cup.

Kent silently pleaded with Jack to come with him, but Jack stayed glued to the wall. He followed where Sammie and Izzie led. They ended up in the living room near the back sliding door.

Kent stood off to the side with Izzie and Sammie, answering all the questions they had about New York. After their questioning, the girls started talking about their upcoming school year. He just smiled and sipped whatever was in his cup. He couldn’t converse as much since the more the girls drank the more they spoke in French instead of English.

Konani moved around the house with his arms around Hannah and Minty. Aaron had already come over twice to refill their cups. He did a good job moving around the house playing waiter to his friends.

As far as he was from Jack, Kent made sure to always have him in view. Jack spent most of the night talking to whoever walked up to him. Most made Jack smile. And maybe blush? Kent couldn’t be sure. The lighting in the house was weird.

Most of the night went like that.

Everything seemed to be going well until a guy, about Jack’s size, walked up to him and started talking. He watched Jack’s shoulders tense up and his eyes go wide.

Kent frowned when Jack looked like he needed to just leave.

Kent pushed himself away from the wall and set his cup down, keeping his eyes on Jack the entire time. He needed to get to him. Quick. “Ladies, I’ll be… one second, okay?”

The guy continued to talk to Jack while Jack said nothing. Then he said something and Jack looked like he wanted to throw up.

Kent grabbed the guy’s shirt and pushed him up against the wall with his forearm to his chest. Sure, the other guy was bigger, but Kent didn’t care. “What did you say to him?” He stared at him, waiting for an answer, but he knew that he wasn’t going to give him one. He turned to Jack. “What did he say to you?”

“Kent.”

“<<If you can’t even stick up for yourself here, how are you going to handle being out on the ice?>>”

“Translate,” Kent said with a growl. He wasn’t sure if he directed it at the guy or Jack.

“Kent,” Jack repeated, this time with a little more urgency. The guy smirked and Kent definitely wanted to punch him in the face for it. 

“I said,” he started. “You’ll never be as good as your dad. That you’re only here because of the name on your jersey. Good luck getting anything on your own, much less a cup.”

“Excuse me?” Kent yelled.

“Kent, let it go,” Jack said pulling Kent away.

Kent yanked his arm out of Jack’s hold and glared. “No.”

“And what are you, his guard dog?”

“If I fucking need to be.” Jack stood up for him in the rink today. The least Kent could do was stand up for him against this bullshit.

“Please,” the guy said with a huff.

“And who the fuck are you?” Kent said, his accent and profanity slipping out. He blamed it on the anger. And the alcohol. “What team do you play for? How many cups you got?”

“Kent," Jack said, trying to calm Kent down. Everyone staring at them.

“No,” he said. He wasn’t going to calm down. Not yet. “I’m not gonna let this asshole say things about my friend because he’s jealous he doesn’t have any skills to even make a damn team.”

“And who are you?”

“I’m a guy who’s closer to getting a cup than you’ll ever be.”

The guy looked like he was ready to step forward when Konani appeared and put himself between them. “We get one problem?”

The guy looked like he was weighing his options. Konani had about three inches on him. And a group with him. “No,” he said.

Kent should have let it go. But he couldn’t. Not yet. He pushed Konani off to the side. “Fuck that! Of course we do. You don’t get to be an asshole to my friend, asshole.” 

“Call off your dog,” he said, looking at Jack.

Jack was still tense from what the guy had said. He still needed a few more minutes to calm down. He looked at Kent and could see that Kent wasn’t ready to let this go. “I can’t tell him what to do.”

“Kent,” Konani said, putting his hand on Kent’s shoulder and squeezing it. “Dat’s enough, brah.”

Kent needed to get one more shot in. “You better fucking count your fucking lucky stars that I never see your ass on the ice.”

“And why the fuck is that?”

“Because I’ll make you look like the incompetent piece of shit player you probably are.”

“You don’t know me.”

“And you don’t know Jack. So keep your fucking stupid and wrong opinions to yourself.” 

The two of them were in a staring contest for a minute. “You done?” Konani said, causing Kent to break his stare.

Kent let out a sigh and immediately looked at Jack. Jack still looked tense, but at least Kent was able to get his message across. No one was allowed to mess with Jack. “I think so.”

Konani was glad the situation was over. Now they could get back to partying. “Come on. You look like you need another drink.”

Kent stepped back, relaxed. He said his piece. The guy looked like he wouldn’t speak to Jack ever again. Jack was, well Kent couldn’t tell what Jack was. But at least he didn’t look like he was going to throw up. Kent counted that as a win. “I think so.” He looked at Jack. “Refill?”

Jack looked back at the guy before he nodded. “I could use another drink.”

Kent gestured for Jack to head to the kitchen first so he could follow. He needed to breathe. He had no idea what had just come over him. He was so angry. And not even for his own sake.

Kent reached up and put a hand on Jack’s shoulder squeezing it to let him know he was there for him. He was going to have Jack’s back until he couldn’t. He dropped his hand and moved.

He was about to say something to Konani when he felt something hard connecting with his temple.

He hit the ground before he realized exactly what had happened.

Then came the commotion above him. And he was at the bottom of a scrum. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him out and away from everyone. “Thanks,” he said when he saw Konani and Jack.

“What the fuck!” someone yelled.

“Aaron,” Konani said, letting go of Kent’s arm. “Minty! Go make sure Aaron doesn’t kill him.” He then turned his attention back to Kent. “Shit. Kent, you okay?” he said, grabbing Kent’s chin to look him over. He signaled to Jack and they both pulled him into the kitchen.

“Clear out,” Hannah said, heading to the freezer to grab some ice. The kitchen emptied out except for the four of them. “Kent, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Kent said, as he was pushed into a chair. “He hit me?”

Hannah stood in front of Kent and brushed his hair back. “Come on. Let’s get some ice on that,” she said, pushing a cloth covered bag of ice onto his eye.

“What about Aaron?” Kent said, not too worried about his face. 

Konani’s hand replaced Hannah’s holding the ice to Kent’s eye and temple. “Jack, help get some better lighting?” he said.

Jack turned on a few lights in the kitchen, much to the dislike of some of the people hanging out just outside of it.

Konani looked over Kent’s face once the lights were on. “You good?”

Kent tried to hold the ice himself, but Konani glared at him which made Kent drop his hand. “Your mom is gonna kill me.”

Jack stood over Kent and frowned. “What were you thinking?”

“Jack, back off for one second,” Konani said, pulling the ice away.

Jack wasn’t going to back off. Not when he was finally okay enough to speak. “Why did you do that?”

“Because the asshole said some stupid shit to you.”

“People will always try to say things to me,” Jack said.

“And you just let them?” Kent said a little louder than he meant to. He was getting angry again, but it was not fair for him to be angry at Jack. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He did it over and over until he was finally calm. “Jack,” he said, trying to look at him.

“Stop moving,” Konani said, trying to angle Kent’s face the right way. “Let me see your eye.”

Right. His eye. “On a scale of one to I’m dead, how mad is your mom gonna be at me?”

“She not going kill you,” Konani said, putting the ice back on. “She kills you, she loses one babysitter. And Mele won’t let her.”

Kent smirked. “I owe that girl.” He let out a sigh when Konani grabbed his hand to press the ice to his face. “How bad is it?” he asked, adjusting the pack.

“Guy clocked you good. You get one hard head, ah?” he said.

“I think so?”

“Going look bad in da morning. But all surface stuff, I think. You like go home?”

“Nah,” Kent said, moving the ice again. “I’m good.”

“Jack, you good?”

“I’m good.”

Konani looked up when he heard a lot of commotion happening toward the back of the house. He sighed and sobered up a degree right before their eyes. “Watch him, ah?”

“Where are you going?” Kent asked.

“Konani! I need you!”

Konani sighed and dropped his head. “I gotta stop Aaron from scrapping.” He stood up and winked at Hannah. He fixed his beanie then headed to the back of the house. “Aaron! Leave da fakka alone!”

Kent raises his eyebrow as Konani pushed his way through the crowd, yelling things. “That… wasn’t English, right?”

“Maybe that’s just how they talk?”

“Jacob?” Hannah asked. 

“Yeah.”

“When he’s has a good amount of alcohol in him, he speaks pidgin.”

“Pidgin?” Jack and Kent said at the same time.

“He spends his summers in Hawaii. It’s how the locals talk. It’s so interesting when he gets back and he talks like he’s still there.”

Kent was about to say something when Konani and Minty dragged Aaron into the kitchen. 

“You good, Kent?” Minty asked.

“Yeah,” Kent said,

“<<You should’ve let Aaron punch him,>>” Jack said.

“No,” Konani replied.

“I should have,” Minty said. “But Aaron scared him enough.”

“Punching him would’ve done the same thing,” Aaron said. 

“Shut up, brah,” Konani said, finishing his cup. “I’m gonna make make rounds and we can go home.” He looked over at Hannah. “Come with?”

Hannah nodded and took Konani’s hand as they left the kitchen.

“You two head out to the car,” Minty said. “We’ll be out there in a bit.”

Kent put the ice and rag in the sink. Jack was watching him like a hawk. “Come on, Jack. Stop looking at me like that. I’m fine.”

Jack didn’t say anything before walking out of the kitchen, then out of the house.

Kent sighed and followed after him. He got to Konani’s car and leaned against it. “You gonna say something?” He looked over at Jack who didn’t seem to be paying any attention to him. “Jack, come on. You can’t—” He stopped when Konani and Minty arrived. 

Kent got into the car and sighed when Jack stayed quiet. Well, back to square one.

As they traveled home, he tried to think of all the things that could possible happen. Auntie Mahea would yell at him. Then tell his mom. And then somehow he’d end up off the team and back in New York.

He was deep in thought when the car stopped and they were outside the DeChambeau house.

Kent stepped out of the car and behind Konani. He looked into the car and saw Minty smiling as he plugged his iPod in. “Nice to meet you.”

“Great end to the summer, man. I’ll see you around,” he said. He waved Kent off to the side. “Konani!” he yelled. “I’ll bring your baby over tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks, brah,” he said. “Shoots.” He threw his arm over Kent’s shoulders. “Come on. You’ll be fine.”

Kent sighed, looking at Jack on the other side of Konani. He hoped that Jack would say something, but he didn’t. Perfect.

Kent stepped into the house after Konani and Jack. He winced when he heard some noise coming from the kitchen. He had hoped that everyone was asleep. Apparently they arrived around the time that Mele woke up for food before going back to sleep.

Mahea walked out of the kitchen with Mele on her hip and smiled for a second before it fell into a frown. “What happened?” she said, passing Mele off to her older brother.

“Someone got into a fight,” Konani said with a shrug like it wasn’t a big deal. “You know how some parties get.”

“With who?”

“Doesn't matter. Guy threw a punch, I moved out of the way, he hit Kent.”

“Let me get you some ice.”

“It’s okay, auntie,” Kent said. “I already iced it.”

Mahea reached over to take Mele. “Jacob Malanakonani. I thought you said you would watch them.”

“I am, mom,” Konani said, looking at Kent.

Mahea looked back and forth between the three boys, focusing mostly on Jack and Kent. They looked stressed, but she wasn’t going to push. Not tonight. “No video games for a week, Konani,” she said.

“Sure thing,” Konani said with a shrug.

“Konani,” Kent said, ready to tell Mahea the truth.

“No worries, Kent,” Konani said.

Mahea let out a sigh. She walked up to Konani and kissed him on his cheek. She sent a reassuring glance and nod to Jack. She then looked at Kent and cupped his cheek to make sure he was okay. “Go clean up, it’s late.”

“Yes, auntie,” Jack and Kent said while Konani said, “Yes, mom.” 

The three of them headed up at the same time. They looked up to see the twins standing at the top of the stairway.

“Konani got into a fight?” Joshua asked.

“Yeah,” Konani said. 

“You threw one punch?” Keahi asked.

“No, Keahi,” Konani said with a sigh.

“Then it wasn’t a fight,” Keahi replied. 

“Why are you sad about it?” Joshua asked.

“Guy meets BJ Penn one time when we’re in Hawaii, and all of a sudden everything can get solved with one scrap.”

“Kent?” Joshua asked, his tone soft. “Did you hit the guy that hit you?”

“No.”

“Good,” Joshua said. He then looked at his twin. “We have to finish our game.” He pushed Keahi back into their room.

Kent looked up in time to see Jack step into his own room and shut the door behind him. Jack was going to give him the cold shoulder the rest of the night. He hoped it was the longest it lasted. He sighed and dragged his hand down his face. He was about to go to his room when he saw Konani head to the bathroom to change. 

He needed to talk to him. He went into Konani’s room, leaving the door wide open so that he didn’t surprise him. 

Ten minutes later, Konani walked into the bedroom wearing only his boxers. “You’re in the wrong room,” he said, closing the door behind him.

Kent looked away. “Shit. Sorry. Didn’t think you’d… didn’t think this through.”

Konani grabbed a pair of basketball shorts and put them on. “What’s up, Kent?” Konani had sobered up after his quick shower.

Kent watched Konani climb into bed and grab a book from his nightstand. “Why did you do that?” he asked.

“Do what?”

“Lie to your mom. You lied to your mom to protect me.”

Konani rested the open book on his chest. “Did I?”

“Yes,” he said. “I got into the fight, not you.”

Konani shrugged. “I said I was gonna keep an eye on you guys.”

“But you lied to your mom,” Kent said. He started to pace. “Why don’t you feel bad?”

Konani laughed and sat up. “She doesn’t believe me.”

“What?”

“I don’t…” Konani bit his bottom lip, trying to think of the right words to say to explain everything. “The first part of my middle name means calm. I’m… my name. She knows I didn’t get into a fight. She’s punishing me for lying.”

“So, am I in trouble?” Kent asked. He would take it if it meant that Konani wasn’t in trouble with his mom.

“Nah. Lesson learned, right?”

Kent dragged his hand down his face, wincing when he pressed against the forming bruise. “If the lesson is to duck, then, yeah.”

“Ducking wouldn't have helped. That was a cheap shot.”

Kent let out a laugh. “So, what is the lesson?” He watched Konani brush his fingers through his hair. “Trying to tell me not to get into anymore fights?”

“Nah. Scrap’um. It’s kinda part of the hockey culture, I guess. But you have to know that those fights won’t all be wins even if you’re the last one standing.”

“What?”

“Not all wins are wins, Kent.” Konani could see that it would take a minute for Kent to process that. “But you were defending your friend. How could I rat you out for that?”

“I got hit.”

“Well, one day you’ll learn to defend people without having to fight.”

“You saying this because I’m small? I can win in a fight.”

“Because you can’t get into those types of fights forever.”

“I can try.”

“You’ll have a heart attack before then.”

Kent knew that was true. He sighed and walked over to Konani’s desk, plopping himself down on the chair. He dragged his hands down his face again. He really needed to stop pushing on his bruise. “I don’t usually fight. I _don’t_ fight. That’s not me.”

“But you fight for him.”

“Huh?”

“Jack. You got into a fight for him. Why did you do that?”

Well, if that wasn’t the million dollar question. “I… I don’t know.”

“So… you just had a sudden urge to go over and defend him. Against a guy that had a few inches and pounds on you.”

“He’s my teammate.”

“Right,” Konani said as if that wasn’t the complete truth. “From what Auntie Licia and Uncle Bob said, you two only recently started… warming up to each other.”

“Just had to get on the ice, you know? Then we could… figure us out.”

“And what have you figured out?”

On the ice, Kent figured out that Jack was a damn good player. Jack would go as far as he could with the sport as long as he had the right people around him.

Off the ice, Kent learned that Jack was pretty funny. And that he was smart. And it was nice when Jack opened up to people since it didn’t happen often.

He also learned that people were going to be assholes to Jack just because of his dad. He wasn’t okay with that. He wanted to make sure people on and off the ice knew that they wouldn’t get away with being an asshole to his friend.

He furrowed his brow.

Well, he did not expect those thoughts.

“You sure you’re only a year older than us?” Kent asked. He smiled when Konani smiled. “How are you so smart?”

“Surrounded by hotheads. Perspective is nice, you know?”

“You ever been in a fight?”

“Lots,” Konani said. He did not sound proud about it. “But then you get thrown out of school. Or a game. And then what?”

Konani did not word it like he needed an answer, but Kent felt like he had to give one. “I don’t know.” He couldn’t help Jack if he was ejected from a game.

“Not expecting you to figure it out with just one punch,” Konani said. From where he sat, he could see the bruise around Kent’s eye. “How’s your head?”

“More the face,” Kent said, gesturing to the general area of where he was hit.

“Must suck for a good looking guy like you.”

“I think it makes me more rugged looking,” he said. 

“Whatever you say,” Konani said, moving to lie back down.

Kent took it as a hint that Konani probably wanted to be alone. He stood up and headed to the door. “Just…”

“What?”

“Don’t lie for me again, okay? Especially to your mom.”

“Kent. It’s okay.” His tone was reassuring and gentle.

The way Konani spoke calmed Kent. “I just feel bad.” He brought his hand up to touch his medal and tags under his shirt. “Even though you say it’s okay, I feel bad. I don’t need you to defend me defending Jack. Especially if you have to lie to your mom.”

“I’m gonna look out for you, Kent. I have your back, and I assume you have mine too.”

“Konani.” Konani was right. He would have Konani’s back and defend him, even without being asked. He sighed, knowing Konani would make the same choice again. But he didn’t have to like it.

Konani sat up again. “If Jack tells you to not get into fights for him, will you?”

Kent bit his bottom lip. He definitely would not listen. “You got me there.”

“I’m not saying don’t fight.”

“Find a different way. Got it.”

“Smart and good looking.”

“Whoa there,” Kent said with his hands raised. “Konani, you got a girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Konani said, his cheeks turning pink.

“Right. Her glasses are just really cute.”

Konani grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him. “Get out of here,” he said.

Kent smirked and tossed the pillow back. He then left Konani’s room. He needed to grab a few things so he could wash up and sleep.

Kent stepped into the hallway in time to see Jack closing the door to his room. He had changed out of his party clothes.

Jack looked up, surprised. “You… you weren’t in your room.”

“No, I wasn’t,” Kent said. He pointed to the door he just walked out of. At least Jack was talking to him. He was glad he wasn’t getting the silent treatment anymore.

“Konani okay?”

“Yeah, he’s okay,” Kent said.

“And you?”

“What about me?” Kent didn’t know why Jack was concerned about him. Konani was the one grounded for a week.

“Your face,” Jack said.

“ _Your_ face.” Kent winced. There was no reason for him to be so defensive. Especially to Jack. 

Fortunately, Jack was patient. “Kent.”

“I’m good, Jack,” Kent said.

“You’re lucky we don’t have practice tomorrow,” he said.

“Even so, I’m still heading to bed like, soon.”

“Concussion?” he asked. 

“Nah,” Kent said. “Just a bruised face. And my pride. I’m gonna get some sleep.” 

“Right," Jack said, ready to go back into his own room.

Kent was going to do the same. He had his hand on the doorknob and was about to open it when he turned he around to find Jack watching him. “Why didn’t you fight back?”

Jack let out a sigh that seemed to deflate his entire body. “Not worth it.”

“Of course it is,” he said. 

“I heard it all before, Kent.”

Hearing that gave Kent a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. This had happened before? “What?” Kent asked when he could finally say something.

“I hear things like that no matter where I go. I can’t let it get to me.”

“Does it?” He knew how hard it could be to hear cutting words like that over and over again. The words against him were usually against his size. While they were true statements, they still hurt. He couldn’t imagine hearing things like what that asshole said to Jack over and over again. 

“Doesn't matter.”

“Jack.”

“People are going to keep talking. It’s what I get for being the son of Bad Bob and Alicia Zimmermann.”

Kent frowned. He was not okay with Jack just accepting this as the norm for him. “People need to know that they can’t talk to you like that.”

“Are you going to fight everyone for me, Kent?”

“I could,” Kent said. Maybe he needed more than a night to learn the lesson of not fighting so much.

Jack sighed. “Why did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Stick up for me?”

Jack asking that question was a lot different than Konani asking it. “Do I need a reason?” Kent waited for Jack to say something. He didn’t. “It’s the right thing to do. I don't like bullies. I don’t like people saying stupid shit. I do like you. So, you win. I know I shouldn’t let what bullies say get to me. Especially since it wasn’t even about me. But you’re crazy if you think I’m just going to sit back and let people say things about you.”

“Because we’re friends.”

“Yeah. Friends stick up for each other.”

Jack looked the bruise forming on Kent's face and shook his head. “Don’t,” he said softly. “Just… don’t. You did enough today.”

What Jack said could have sounded cutting, but it didn’t. It almost sounded like a plea. “Jack.”

Jack ran his hand down his face as he tried to find the words to convince Kent fighting wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Especially for him. “The ice is where I can shut people up.”

“Then I guess in a few months, no one will be able to talk about you like that.” Kent would do his best to make sure Jack was unstoppable on the ice so no one could ever say things those things to him again.

“Maybe,” Jack said. He sighed and headed to the opposite side of the hall. “And Kent?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. For defending me. You really didn’t need to.”

Kent did not expect that after everything Jack had said. “What are friends for, right?” In all honesty, he would do it again in a heartbeat.

“Right. Friends. Get some sleep, Kent. We have one more week of practice before the roadie.”

Kent smiled now that he and Jack were back to being okay. “You need it more than I do, Mr. First Line.”

“You’re supposed to be there with me,” Jack said. 

“I’ll get there,” Kent said with a laugh. “Next season.”

“This season.” Jack said it like there wasn’t any other option. Kent was getting on his line before the season was over.

Kent would not make Jack’s line unless every forward, besides Jack and someone else, had injures or came down with something at the same time. But it was nice that Jack was so convinced that it would happen. “Good night, Jack.” 

“Night.”

Kent grabbed some clothes, cleaned up, changed, and climbed into bed. He was careful not to sleep on the bruised side of his face.

The weekend was relaxing considering the stress that was to come. Kent spent most of his time with Konani not playing video games since Konani wasn’t allowed. It was the least Kent could do.

Kent still felt a lot of guilt because of it and it wouldn’t go away until Konani was kicking his ass at Mario Kart again. 

Monday came and Kent’s schedule was a little different because of school starting. Konani and Jack woke up early to go to Cegep while the twins headed to their school. Kent still woke up to eat breakfast with everyone. Once everyone was gone, he settled in the living room with Mele as he tried to do his homework.

The quiet was nice.

Familiar.

Konani had offered to bring Kent along to campus. Kent could hang out in the library while Jack and Konani were in class. Kent politely declined. He wanted a little more quiet to be able to get some work done.

Konani and Jack came home a little after noon. They ate, then the two of them headed upstairs to change and get ready for practice.

Three days after getting punched in the face, his bruise looked a lot worse than it felt. But it still felt pretty bad.

Kent walked into the arena and could feel everyone staring at his face. The coaches stopped him and Jack before they stepped into the locker room.

“What happened to you?” Coach Parker asked Kent.

Jack could have walked into the locker room to leave Kent to deal with it on his own, but he stopped and waited.

“What?” Kent asked, trying to play dumb.

“Your eye,” Coach Parker said.

“Oh.” Kent bit his bottom lip, trying to figure out what to say. “I was wrestling with someone. He tried to show me some MMA moves.”

“And he punched you?” He didn’t sound like he believed Kent for a second.

“It was an accident. I ducked when he was trying to go for a submission.”

Coach Parker looked at Kent, trying to read him. He then looked over at Jack. “Jack?” He wanted Jack to either confirm or deny what was just said.

“I’m not getting involved,” he said.

Their coach sighed. Well, at least those two rookies got along. And they worked well together on the ice. He’d have to keep an eye on them. “No more injuries,” he said.

“Only on the ice, sir,” Kent said. 

“Try to keep him from getting hurt on the ice too, please,” Coach Parker said to Jack.

“I really can’t make him do anything,” Jack said.

“Go get suited up. We have a lot to work on before the end of the week,” he said before leaving them to get ready.

Kent breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled at Jack. “We got this?”

“We got this.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In before December!
> 
> Also. Tags updated.

At the end of the week, the coaches sat everyone down in the stands just like they did before their first practice. And the way they did at the end of most of their practices. 

They were ready to announce who would be going on the first roadie. 

This was the first cut. 

Kent had no idea which side of the cut he’d end up on.

He sat down between Jack and their teammate Wiles as they listened for the coaches to call their names. He never realized how many last names were in the first half of the alphabet until he had to sit through A to O. 

He let out a sigh of relief once he heard his name. He was able to completely relax when he finally heard Jack’s. Alphabetical order was the worst. He would have to wait until the very last name at every cut.

But he made the first one.

One down, who knew how many more to go.

The coaches.

The coaches knew.

Kent wanted to be proud about this accomplishment for as long as possible before he got some bad news. He picked up his bag and pulled out his phone to text his mom the good news.

**To: A+ Mom  
** (7:06 PM): Guess who made the first cut! ROADIE! ROADIE! ROADIE!

**From: A+ Mom  
** (7:08 PM): ROADIE! ROADIE! ROADIE!  
(7:08 PM): I’m so proud of you, baby.

**To: A+ Mom  
** (7:09 PM): Thanks, mom.  
(7:10 PM): We’re heading home now. And thanks for the snacks. Mele and the twins loved them. I love you so much.

**From: A+ Mom  
** (7:10 PM): You’re welcome, baby. We’ll talk later, okay? Me and Cade have to prep for the wedding we’re catering this weekend. I love you.

Kent put his phone in his pocket and looked up to see Jack staring at him. “What? I had to tell my mom that I wouldn’t be coming home this weekend.”

Jack raised his eyebrow at how Kent worded making the first cut. “Well, you won’t be home until Christmas, if we have anything to do with it.” He led the way out of the rink and to the parking lot.

Kent shook his head and laughed. “We’ll see, Jack. One week at a time.” Jack was confident on the ice, but for him to be confident about something involving him meant a lot. It helped build his own confidence.

“Sure, Kent.” It was pretty much a guarantee that he was going to make the cut. But there was a lot of talent on the team. The way everyone played, Kent would be on the cusp at ever cut. It made Jack nervous.

Kent needed to make the team.

When the coaches gave Kent a chance, he had moments of brilliance on the ice. But a lot of the time the coaches still didn’t know what to make of the small speedster from New York. 

They needed to figure it out soon, because Kent deserved to play in the Q. If Rimouski didn’t figure out Kent’s place, then some other team would.

“Did you call Konani to come get us?” Jack asked.

“I’ll do that now,” Kent said since he already had the phone out. Kent was ready to dial when the veterans walked over to the group of rookies that had gathered. Kent’s eyes immediately went to Booth and he glared at him. He did not like his almost teammate. 

And Booth probably felt the same way.

“Boys, call up your billet families. You’re gonna be home late tonight.” 

“I have homework,” their teammate Wiles said.

“Me too,” their other team Mega replied.

“Shut up,” Booth said. “That’s not an excuse.”

“If we have to shut up, how are we calling our families?” Kent asked, tossing his phone up in the air and catching it.

“Shut up before I make you shut up, Parse.”

“Try,” Kent growled, gripping his phone tight.

Cookie pulled Booth back. “Easy,” he said. He was the team’s A from the last season and he seemed to be a lock for getting the C this year. “Just some team bonding.”

“Bonding when half of us won’t even make the team,” Kent said in a deadpan voice.

“And what side do you think you’re gonna end up on, Parse?”

“The side that will kick your ass if I need to,” he said, taking a step forward. He only stopped when Jack grabbed his arm and squeezed it. He looked back at him and sighed, calming down as fast as he was fired up. “Yeah, yeah. Got it. You’ll be okay, right? We don’t have to do this if we don’t want to.”

“I’ll be okay.” Jack let go of Kent’s arm.

“We’ll do your stupid team bonding,” Kent said, still glaring at Booth. He tapped Jack on his arm. “I have to call Konani.” He walked away from everyone to make the call. He watched all the rookies pull out their phones to call their own families.

Jack followed Kent to the edge of the parking lot. “Kent?”

Kent shook his head not able to answer Jack since Konani answered. “Hey, Konani,” he said when he held the phone to his ear. He paused to listen to Konani. “No. We don’t need to get picked up yet. Teammates are being assholes. I’ll call you later to come get us.” He dragged his hand down his face as he spoke. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll be okay. No worries, I got him.” 

He turned around to see the rookies heading back to the veterans. “No idea where we’re going. I’ll call you when we’re done.” He then rolled his eyes. “I promise not to die. What’s for dinner tonight?” Kent smiled at the answer. “Aw man. Okay. Yeah. I won’t die. Jack won’t either. Scout’s honor. Yeah, yeah. Okay. I’ll call you.” He slid his phone into his pocket then looked at Jack.

The two of them headed back to the crowd. “You two,” Cookie said. “With me and Degs.” He knew better than to put Kent in the same car with Booth.

Kent nodded, grateful for the separation. He looked at the rest of the rookies, and saw that they were in a much better mood than him and Jack. He got into the car and found himself more nervous for Jack than he was for himself.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to a lake. Kent raised his eyebrow when he saw the setup. Tables. Lights. Coolers.

Jack and Kent stepped out of the car and followed Cookie and Degs to the tables. “Are we getting hazed?” Kent asked.

“I think so,” Jack replied.

The rest of the cars pulled up behind them. Their teammates made their way over and gathered around them. 

“Boys,” Cookie said.

“Did he just call us boys?” Kent asked with a laugh.

“Shut your yap, Parser,” Booth said.

“After you shut yours,” Kent said. Maybe he was taking his dislike too far, but he really, really could not stand his teammate at all.

“The first task,” Cookie said rather loudly so that Kent and Booth would stop arguing for a few minutes. He was glad that no one said anything. It was nice being captain. Almost captain. “Is to get all the rookies drunk.”

“No,” Kent said. The last time he got even remotely drunk, he got punched in the face.

“Game of chance,” Degs said.

“No,” Kent said with a laugh. Getting drunk was one thing. Not having a choice whether or not to get drunk was something Kent was not on board with.

“Parson, shut the fuck up,” Booth said. “I swear to God.”

“Don’t swear to God, you asshole,” Kent said, getting fired up again. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He felt someone grab his arm and immediately knew who it was. He was lucky that Jack was holding him back. Again.

“Keep talking, Parson. I swear. Give me a reason.”

“Booth, fuck," Cookie yelled. “Calm the fuck down. Why are you letting him get to you?”

“He’s a little shit.”

“Oh my god. Calm down,” Cookie said, rolling his eyes. He then looked at Kent and Jack. “And you. Stop it.” He then pointed to Jack. “Tell him to cut it out.”

Jack fought back a smile. “I can’t tell him to do anything,” he said. Because, really, he couldn’t. He had already tried once, and it didn’t go well.

“You said something about getting drunk. You just make us sit down and drink?” Mega asked.

“Game of chance,” Degs said again. Apparently this whole thing was rehearsed.

“I don’t like that,” Kent said under his breath.

“Pair up with a rookie and you’ll get grouped with a vet. There will be three bottles in front of you. One is water, one is rum, and one vodka. Rookies get first choice,” Cookie said. “We go until the alcohol’s all gone.”

Kent crossed his arms over his chest. It didn’t seem so bad, but he still had one issue with it. “And who the hell is driving after this? Because fuck you guys if you think I’m getting into a car with any of you guys if you’ve been drinking.”

“Parse,” Cookie said with a sigh, but he understood the reluctance. “We got this, okay? A bunch of us aren’t drinking. We’ll wait until after we get you lightweights home. The sooner you guys start drinking, the faster you guys get to go home.”

Kent felt a little bit of fight leave him. He trusted Cookie and was on board with him being their captain for the season. He looked at Jack and saw a lot of unease on his face. He broke away from Jack’s side for a moment and walked to a few of the rookies when it looked like the veterans were done. “You guys gonna be okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Mega said with a smile. “Go take care of Jack.”

Kent sighed. So, that was his reputation. It could be worse. “I’m sure he can take care of himself.”

“Just go, Parse. We’re getting free drinks out of this.”

“That’s a way to look at it,” Kent said with a laugh. “Don’t let them push you around.”

“Never,” Mega and a few other teammates said.

Kent saw they were in good hands. He would keep an eye on them throughout the night. He walked back over to Jack. “Me and you.”

“I don’t drink in season,” Jack said, as they made their way over to the table with Cookie and Booth.

“Well, you better hope you get the bottle of water,” Booth said with a smirk when he saw which rookies were with them.

“I’m not doing this,” Jack said, watching Cookie set three bottles on the table.

“Jack. It’s fine. One in three.”

“I don’t drink in season,” he repeated. Since he made the first cut, this meant that he was officially in season.

“That’s fine. I got you, Jack.”

Kent looked at the bottles in front of him. At first glance, this was going to be a little more difficult than he thought. “So. We just choose one, drink it, and we’re done.”

“After a few rounds,” Cookie said. “We don’t want you guys to be too sick at the end of this. We still want you to make the team.” He smiled, trying to calm their nerves. “Seriously. It’s supposed to be fun. No skill involved. Just a simple game of chance.”

“If you’re lucky, you get the water bottle.”

Lucky.

Kent Saw that Jack was still nervous. He needed to keep his composure to make sure Jack got out of this unscathed. He looked over the bottles and bit his bottom lip to keep himself from smiling. At least the first round was going to be easy. He immediately reached over for one of the bottles he knew had alcohol in it.

He looked at Jack who stared at the two remaining bottles. He moved his foot and tapped Jack’s twice, telling him to grab the second one. Booth took the remaining bottle. Kent raised the bottle up. “Cheers.” 

He took in a deep breath before he brought the bottle to his lips. He drank it down quickly before dropping the bottle. “Fuck. That. Shit,” he said, wincing at the burn. He looked at Jack. “What… what did you get?”

“Water.”

“Ass,” Kent said with a smirk. He was glad that he chose right. One day he would thank his mom for teaching him about alcohol at an appropriate age.

Cookie moved the three empty bottles off of the table. “Okay. Jack. You pick first,” Cookie said, picking up three more bottles and set them down.

Kent looked down and realized he wasn’t paying attention. He needed to figure out which was the water. He let out a few coughs and nudged the table, making the bottles all tip. “Shit.” His hand shot out to make sure none of them fell. 

Kent saw the alcohol cling to the sides of the bottle and knew which one was water. He tapped Jack’s foot once. At least it seemed like Cookie and Booth didn’t know which bottle was which either. It really was a game of chance.

Jack picked the first bottle and drank it down. He smiled.

“Water again?” Cookie said with a laugh. “Lucky guy.” 

 “Or maybe I’m just unlucky,” Kent said. He grabbed a bottle and just hoped that it was vodka again. 

It wasn’t.

He was definitely going to be feeling this tomorrow.

He turned his head to cough. He took in a deep breath and held it, willing his stomach to settle. “How many rounds of this we got left?”

“Two or three,” Cookie said. 

Kent frowned at his captain. “Don’t lie to me, Cookie.” 

“Until we run out of alcohol then.”

Kent looked over at Jack and winked.

There was a short break between the second and third round that gave the alcohol a bit more time to work.

The third and fourth round, Kent chose vodka, which he was both grateful and ungrateful for. He found himself leaning against Jack more and more as the night wore on. He did laugh every time Booth had to drink along with him.

Jack wrapped his arm around Kent’s back, holding him by his waist against his side. “You really are unlucky, huh?” he said in a fond tone. He owed him.

“Never gonna drink vodka again.”

“Don’t say that. You might choose it again.”

Kent shrugged. “Well, last round?” he asked, looking at Cookie. 

“Six bottles left.” He put a hand on Booth’s shoulder and squeezed. “I don’t think Booth is doing too hot.”

Kent laughed. “Weak.”

“Kent,” Jack scolded without any fire. He was smiling. 

Kent chose vodka for the fifth round. Jack chose water again. Kent had doubts that he was even helping at all for the last two rounds. Maybe Jack really was lucky.

But, there was one round left. Jack was one bottle away from not having to drink in season.

“I hate vodka. So much,” Kent said. He turned his attention to the table again. Last round.

Jack watched Cookie lay out the last three bottles. Booth immediately took a bottle. He felt one tap against his foot and reached for the first bottle for a second before taking the other bottle.

“Jack,” Kent said softly.

“Grab your bottle, Kent,” he said, sliding the bottle over.

Kent frowned at Jack, taking the bottle left for him. He raised it clinked the bottle against Jack’s. “Cheers.” He took a sip and was glad for water. He then handed the bottle to Cookie. “Never drinking anything with alcohol ever again,” he mumbled.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Cookie smiled and put the last few bottles into the cooler. “Go get him settled. I gotta make sure Booth is good.”

Jack held Kent close as he walked him over to somewhere he could sit. The other groups were still working through their last few rounds, so it gave them a few minutes. “Are you good?”

“You were supposed to take the first bottle,” Kent said, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hand. He wanted his stomach to settle.

“It was the last bottle. One wasn’t going to kill me.” Jack reached up and pulled Kent's hands away from his eyes. “Stop that,” he said.

“Are we going home now?”

“I don’t think so,” he said as the rest of the team gather toward the lit area. “Soon, though. I hope.”

“Should we join them?” Kent ran his hand up and down his arm, hoping to sober up just a little bit. “Maybe they won’t notice that we’re just hanging out in our corner?”

“You really wanna leave the other rookies to have to deal with the vets without you?” Jack asked. He knew that Kent would want to make sure the veterans didn’t take advantage of the rookies.

“Booth is such an asshole,” Kent said. 

“I’m sure he says the same thing about you,” Jack said.

Kent shrugged. “I don’t care. The only thing that matters is that you like me at the end of the day,” he said. “You like me, right?”

Jack fondly rolled his eyes. “Yeah,” he said. “I like you.” He looked up and saw Cookie waving them over. “Come on.” He pulled Kent to his feet and kept him close as they walked back to the crowd.

“Everyone got enough alcohol in them?” Degs asked with a laugh.

“Enough,” Mega replied. He had chosen the alcohol bottle more than the water bottle. He felt good.

“Okay,” Cookie said. “Second task is a kiss.”

Kent laughed at the ridiculousness of it.

He could see that another rehearsed speech was about to happen and he did not have the patience to listen to it. He grabbed Degs, the closest person to him besides Jack, by his cheeks and looked into his eyes. “I’m gonna kiss you. Pull away if this isn’t okay.” Degs stayed in place. Kent took it as an okay to lean forward and press his lips to Degs' lips. He pulled back and frowned. “You need a chapstick.”

Degs gently pushed Kent away. “Jeez, Parson,” he said.

Kent shrugged. Kissing wasn’t a big deal to him. “Task three? Last task?” He wasn’t going to be able to handle any more tasks since he was feeling the alcohol more and more as time went on.

“All right. Last task. As you can see, rooks,” Cookie started. “We are at a lake.”

“So, the last task is that you want us to jump in?” Wiles asked. “That’s a lame last task.”

“A rookie needs to jump into the lake. Naked.”

“Still lame,” Wiles replied. “We’ve all seen each other naked before.”

“So, are you gonna be the one to jump in?” Booth asked, raising his eyebrow.

Wiles kept his mouth shut. He looked around at his teammates, wondering if someone was going to take one for the team.

“No one gonna volunteer?” Booth said after a minute of silence. “If no one does, we’re gonna just choose someone.”

Kent rolled his eyes and grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it off. He knew that if Booth was choosing, his name was at the top of the list anyway. He grabbed Jack’s arm and hung the shirt on it. “So. I just have to jump into the lake. Naked.”

“It’s cold,” Cookie said.

“But just one of us,” Kent said, wanting clarification. He didn’t want the veterans to change the rules and say that someone else had to jump in after him. “I do this, then we’re done, right?”

“Yeah.”

Kent took his shoes and socks off, leaving them in a pile. “I’ll do it,” he said. This wouldn’t be the first lake he ever jumped into. And it wouldn’t be the first lake he jumped into naked. “Whatever. How deep is the lake?”

“What?” Cookie asked.

“If I dive, I won’t break my neck?”

“You won’t. But just jump in. You don’t have to dive.”

“Okay, then. I got this.”

“Kent,” Jack said. “Someone else can do it.” He looked at the other rookies and saw a few of them contemplating the jump. But none of them were going to jump in. He would, if it came down to it.

“Look. I got a good amount of alcohols in me. I don’t feel cold or warm. I’m going to jump in real quick, maybe clean up a little, and get right back out. Then, I’ll be cool. It might sober me up a bit. And I won’t wake up hung over tomorrow.”

“Parse. You had four of those bottles to drink.”

“Excuse me. Five,” Kent took off his jeans and boxers. He was completely naked in front of his teammates. Like Wiles said before, it really wasn’t that big of a deal. He would say that until he actually jumped in and felt how cold the water was.

“Not better,” Cookie said.

Kent sighed and turned to look at Jack. He rested his hand on his chest, holding the tags and medal under it. He took in a deep breath and held it for a second before he let it out. He took his chain off and handed it to Jack. He sobered up enough to make eye contact with him. He needed his friend to know how serious this was. “Hold my chain, okay? Don’t let anyone touch it.”

“I won’t.”

“Jack. I mean it.”

“I. Won’t,” Jack said, making Kent understand that he knew how important these items were to him. Kent had told Jack a few things about his dad. He knew what it meant that Kent trusted him with them. 

Then drunk Kent took over again. “Completely naked. Jumping in a lake. Because my captains are assholes. But not Cookie. Cookie’s cool. I’m coming for your spot,” he sang, pointing to Booth. He then took off down the dock.

“Crazy American,” Degs laughed.

“I’m gonna do a backflip!”

“Parse, don’t do that!” Booth yelled. He sounded nervous. Like maybe this was a bad idea letting Kent volunteer to do the lake jump. 

“Don't tell me what to do, Booth.”

This time, Cookie couldn’t help but laugh. “He really doesn’t like you.”

Kent smiled. Then he jumped off the dock. The water wasn’t great, but Kent was grateful it wasn’t ice cold. He gave him time to settle and swim a little further into the lake. He pulled up for a second to catch his breath before he dove back down. The coolness of the water sobered him up.

He was just about to come back up for air when he felt someone or something grab his arm and pull him up. “What?” he asked as soon as he caught his breath. He ran his hand down his face to get the water out of his eyes. It didn’t take him long to realize who was in front of him. “Jack?”

“Are you out of your mind?” Jack yelled.

Kent had no idea why Jack was yelling at him. “Are you? What are you doing?” he yelled back. 

“You didn’t come up!”

“Get out of the water!”

“I’m going to kill you,” Jack growled. He held onto Kent’s arm and swam both of them back to the dock. 

“When the held did you get so strong?” Kent said, trying to pull his arm out of Jack’s hold. “Get out of the water before you get sick.” 

“You could get sick too.”

“I’m not even on the team yet!” Kent tried to kick Jack, but he was too close to get any leverage. “Get your ass out of the water!” Kent paused for a second before his eyes went wide. “Are you naked?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Come on.” He got them to the edge of the dock where Cookie, Wiles, and Degs were standing. They bent down to grab Kent by his arms and pull him up. He climbed out of the water and took Kent from Degs.

“Get the boys some towels,” Cookie said. The other veterans made their way over with some towels.

Jack grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He grabbed two and wrapped one around Kent’s waist, and put another over his shoulders. “Don’t do that again,” Jack said, leaning into Kent so no one could hear him.

“What?” Kent asked.

“Idiot.” Jack walked over to his pile of clothes and grabbed Kent’s chain that he had tucked into his pocket. He put it over Kent’s head, patting it to his chest. He then put his jeans and shirt back on. 

Kent smiled at Jack. “Can I get more alcohol in me?”

“No,” every single one of their teammates said at the same time.

“Hold on to your boy,” Cookie said, grabbing Kent’s clothes then heading back to the car.

“I got him,” Jack said, holding onto Kent and leading him to the car. “Are you okay?”

“I’m definitely gonna be sick tomorrow,” Kent said, leaning against Jack. If it wasn’t because of the alcohol, it was because of the cold. 

“You know what that means, right?”

“No?”

“That means you can’t hang out with Mele until you get better,”Jack teased.

“No… that's mean,” Kent whined.

“You don't want to get her sick do you?”

Kent sighed, resigned. “No.” As much as he wanted to hang out with the little girl, he wasn’t going to get her sick because he was selfish.

“We should get him home,” Cookie said, holding Kent’s clothes out to them.

Jack took them and helped Kent get dressed. “Yeah,” he said. Once they got to the car and searched through Kent’s bag. “Kent. Where is your jacket?”

“I left it at home. Konani was doing laundry.”

“Idiot,” Jack said in a scolding tone.

“Don’t be mean,” Kent said. “Konani was helping with laundry.”

“Not him,” Jack said. “Where is your phone?” He patted down Kent’s pockets to feel around for it. 

“My bag. It’s in my bag.” 

Jack nodded and sat Kent in the backseat. “Turn the heater on,” he said to Cookie. He grabbed his Rimouski sweatshirt and put it on Kent. He dialed Konani’s number and waited. “Konani. It’s Jack. We’re heading back to the rink. Can you bring some warm clothes for Kent?” He sighed as he listened to Konani’s questions. “He’s an idiot, that’s what he did.” Another pause. “I’m good. We’ll see you soon.” 

Jack hung up and got into the car next to Kent who heard everything he had said.

“I’m not an idiot,” Kent said.

“To be determined,” Jack said. He looked over at Kent and saw him fumbling with his seatbelt. He reached over and buckled him in. “Are you okay? Feeling sick?”

Kent shook his head. “No. I won’t throw up, if that’s what you’re asking. Cold. And I want food.”

“We’ll get you fed when we get home.” He sighed and checked on Kent every few seconds. “You’re still an idiot.”

When they got back to the rink, Konani was already waiting with Kent’s jacket and a few blankets. “This guy,” he said, putting Kent in the backseat. He put the blankets over him and got back into the car to drive home.

They got Kent home fifteen minutes later. 

“Bring him up to his room,” Konani said, setting Kent’s bag by the door. “I’ll bring food up to you guys. Kent, you okay?”

“I’m good,” he said through a yawn. “Tired.”

“Well, you need to shower, first.”

“I’m hungry,” Kent said. The more he thought about it, he realized he wasn’t hungry. He just wanted something else in his system besides alcohol and a little bit of water. 

“Eat, shower, bed.”

“How about eat bed?”

“Eat bed?” Jack rolled his eyes and saw Kent nod. “You smell like the lake. You need to shower.”

“ _You_ need to shower.”

Jack opened the door to Kent’s room and watched Kent drag his feet to his bed. “I know I do, but that’s not what we’re arguing right now. I’ll shower after I know you’re okay.”

“I’m good, Jack.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and dragged his fingers through his wet hair. “I’m sorry you had to drink. Vodka is so gross.” Even thinking about all the vodka he drank made him sick. 

“One for six isn’t that bad,” Jack said. He watched Kent adjust to sit against the headboard. He was pretty sure Kent was going to fall asleep in that position. He climbed into Kent’s bed and sat next to him. He had to keep him awake long enough to eat something. “You didn’t have to do that, you know.”

“I’m gonna do a lot of things I don’t have to do.”

“That doesn't make as much sense as you think it does.”

Kent shrugged. “You didn’t want to drink.”

“I don’t drink in season,” Jack corrected. 

“I didn’t want you to drink,” Kent said, countering that statement. 

“You have to stop doing that, Kent. I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t have to do anything. I made my choice.” And his choice was to make sure Jack went first in the draft, whether this year or the next. He didn’t want Jack to have any distractions. He had Jack’s back, no matter what Jack said. “I’m tired,” he said, yawning again. He found himself leaning against Jack. 

“And hungry?”

At that, Konani opened the door carrying two plates of food. “He looks ready to fall asleep,” he said walking over and handing the plates over to Jack.

“I think so.”

“I’m right here. Listening to you. I’m not sleeping. Not yet.”

“Good,” Konani said, taking a plate from Jack and putting it in Kent’s lap. “Because you need to eat so you don’t wake up wanting to die tomorrow.” 

Kent sighed and looked at the plate in his lap. He smiled. “Your mom makes the best food.”

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Konani said. “Make sure he eats some of that,” he said to Jack.

“I can make sure I eat some of it,” Kent said. He picked up his fork and started eating.

Jack focused on his own meal. He looked over at Kent every time he heard the fork hit his plate. He saw that Kent had eaten half of what Konani had served them.

“Kent?” he asked when he dropped his fork again.

Kent sat up, grabbing the fork before it hit the bed. “Yeah. I’m up. What?”

Jack moved Kent’s plate off of his lap and put it on the nightstand next to the bed. He stacked his plate on top of it. “You’re about to fall asleep. You should get up and shower first.”

Kent sighed and shut his eyes. He leaned into his teammate and yawned. “Need a nap first, then I’ll shower.”

“I don’t think you’ll make it through your shower if you nap now,” Jack teased. 

“Just put me in the bathtub and turn the water on.”

“No,” Jack said immediately. “I thought you drowned once tonight. I’m not gonna be the one to drown you a second time.”

“I didn’t drown,” Kent said with a huff that turned into a yawn.

“Thought you did.”

Kent raised his eyebrow at that admission. He didn’t think he did anything wrong jumping into the lake. Though, swimming out further into it, may not have been the smartest thing for him to do. “Worried about me, Jack?”

“Yeah. I was a little.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’m still here. Tired, though.”

Jack made a decision. “Sleep,” he said. Kent wasn’t even trying to fight the sleep anymore, which was fine by him. If Kent tried to shower, he could slip and fall since he was so tired. Perhaps he could sleep some of the alcohol and tiredness off. “I’ll wake you up in a bit so you can shower.”

“Thanks, Jack. You’re so cool.”

He shifted a bit, curling further and further against Jack. He slowly fell asleep sighing at the warmth that Jack’s body provided. 

Some part of him knew that Jack was not going to wake him up to shower.

Sleepy, drunk Kent did not mind.


	7. Chapter 7

There was a new level of stress Kent felt after making the first cut. Although he was one of the players heading on the first roadie, there was no guarantee that he would suit up.

Luckily for him, he suited up every game since the preseason was for the newbies. As did Jack.

Jack was amazing to watch on the ice. He had moments where Kent would wonder just why Jack didn’t join the Q the first year he could. One day he’d figure out why Jack stayed in the states for an extra year. 

Or maybe Jack would tell him.

Or he wouldn’t. Jack obviously had his reasons, and Kent wasn’t going to pry. 

Kent played the best he could on the line he was put or when the coaches put him on the power play. He thought he was doing enough to make the team. Even if he wasn’t always playing his best, his teammates, or his coaches, or Jack would tell him that he was doing a good job.

Most days he believed it.

Every few days, the coaches called everyone together and read off the names of players who make it to the next practice.

August became September and Kent was still sitting next to Jack at every one of those meetings.

Each day, Kent became more and more confident that he would actually make the final roster.

Lines were still shuffled around during the games. The closer the day came to the announcement of the final roster, the more the veterans began to play. Kent worried a little more than he should have since it affected his time on the ice. When he thought about it, it wasn’t by a lot. At least, that’s what he told himself.

He had made it so far, and wasn’t willing to go home. But, if he did, he knew he had done as much as he could.

Something that his coaches and teammates couldn’t ignore when he was on the ice was that he could play. He was fast. He was smart with the puck. He was a playmaker.

A majority of his points came from assists. He would have had a lot more assists at the end of the preseason if his teammates could just finish.

Jack could.

Whenever they were on the ice at the same time, Kent wanted to leave his impression on the ice. He always got the puck to Jack even when his teammates and coaches were left wondering how he made those plays happen. Apparently it happened way more often than they could count. And it was impressive every time. But that didn’t guarantee that they would end up on the same line. 

Kent made the most of every chance he had knowing it could be his last time on Rimouski ice. 

Somehow, at the end of the day, he still had enough energy to do more than hockey. He did his homework. He helped with dinner and dishes. He did his laundry. He held Mele’s hand as she learned to walk.

He was making a life in Rimouski, and he was hoping that he could keep it. Even for a little while longer.

A little more than two weeks into September came the last cut. Right before their last game, which they were playing at home. Thank goodness.

Doing homework on a bus, or a plane, or in a hotel room wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to do. But he had managed so far. 

Then the final cut. He sat between Jack and their rookie goalie, Bernie. Kent’s leg kept bouncing as they all waited for the coaches to arrive.

Jack reached over, gripping Kent’s thigh and squeezing. “Relax.”

“Don’t tell me to relax,” Kent said. He kept his leg still. “There is a very big chance that I won’t be here tomorrow.”

“Can your mom still send us treats if you’re not?” Jack asked.

“Not funny, Jack. That’s not funny.” It was a little funny. It wasn’t often that Jack made jokes, and it did help to relax him a bit.

Jack sighed and kept his hand on Kent’s thigh for a minute longer, just to make sure that it wouldn’t start bouncing again. “You did everything you could,” he said. “If they keep you, then they keep you. If they don’t, then they are idiots.”

“You’re the only one that’s sure that I’m gonna make this team.”

“I should’ve put money on it. The odds of you staying,” he teased. He pulled his hand back after one last reassuring squeeze. “You’re meant to be here.”

Kent hoped that was true.

He felt his heart rate pick up when the coaches appeared. Kent felt Jack’s arm around his shoulder and it was enough to relax him. Even if he didn’t make the team, he made a few really good friends out of it.

“All right,” Coach Gallagher started. “You boys have played some amazing hockey these last few weeks. You showed us all you had and you did everything we asked you guys and so much more. If we could keep every single one of you, we would. But we can’t.”

“Don’t be discouraged if you don’t make the team,” Coach Brassard said. “It isn’t because you weren’t good enough, it’s because there was just someone that was just played better. Or we saw someone with potential that we feel we can work with. Keep working hard. You will get called up one day.” He looked at the boys and sighed. “But, for now, we can only keep thirty three of you.”

Coach Parker handed Coach Gallagher the clipboard with all the names. “Your captain for this season, Steven Amos.”

The team started cheering. “Cookie! Cookie! Cookie!”

“Okay, okay, calm down. We can’t have you cheering like that after every name, we’ll be here all night.” 

Their coaches read through a few more names. 

Kent nudged Bernie when his name was called. Then rolled his eyes when coach said Booth’s name right after. Kent had to admit that he was a good player, even if he was a giant asshole.

He looked up when they called Mega’s name and pointed at his friend. Then they called Norms.

And there was no one on the team with the last name that began with the letter O.

The next name called would either be his own or not.

Kent felt like he was going to be sick. The wait felt like years, when, in reality, it was only a few seconds.

“Kent Parson.”

Kent thought he was going to pass out. He was hearing things. Right? He looked over to Jack for any indication that he heard what he thought he heard.

Jack smiled and pulled Kent close. “Told you,” he said. He relaxed his grip just slightly.

Now, all Kent needed to hear was Jack’s name. He kept staring at Jack, waiting. “And, last, but certainly not least. Your rookie A. Jack Zimmermann.”

Kent let out a sigh of relief. They did it. They both did it. Now Kent wanted to sleep for the rest of the week. 

Coach Gallagher handed the clipboard back to Coach Parker. “Good job, boys. Go home, get some sleep, we’ll see you in a few days for our last game. Then regular practices, and our first regular season games.”

When the coaches dismissed everyone Kent stood up and walked over to the handful of players that didn’t make the final roster. He hugged each of them and sighed, giving them words of hope.

Every time he finished with, “I better see you here next year.”

Jack stood off to the side and smiled when Kent finished with their last almost teammate. He grabbed Kent and hugged him. “You’re a good teammate,” he said. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

Kent sighed and hugged Jack back before letting go. He was ready to go home. But he had to do something first. “One second,” he said, watching everyone file out of the rink until it was only him and Jack left.

Kent pulled his phone out of his bag and dialed the number he had dialed at least twice a day since he’d left. He leaned against the glass and sighed. He bit his lip and released it as soon as she answered.

“Baby?”

“Hey, mom,” he said. Hearing her voice made his throat tighten and his eyes start to tear up.

“Baby, you okay?” she asked.

Kent heard the background noise get softer and softer. “I’m good, mom,” he said. He bit his bottom lip and pressed the heel of his free hand to his eyes. “I… I did it,” he said softly.

“You did?” she said, the excitement evident in her voice.

Kent coughed so he could get his words out. “I did. I… I made the team.” Then came no response. Kent waited for his mom to say something. Anything. “Mom?”

“I knew you could do it, baby. I’d hug you so hard if I could see you, right now.”

“Save it for Christmas.”

“I guess that’s the next time I’ll see you, huh?” she said. It could have sounded sad, but she was so happy.

“Unless you decide to surprise me at a game?” he said. He knew his mom was busy, though. Even if Cadence could hold down the shop for a day or two on her own his mom never took a day off.

“We’ll see, baby,” she said. “I still wish I could hug you.”

“I wish you could too, mom,” Kent said. But he’d have to wait for a hug from her. He looked up and saw Jack just standing off to the side and waiting patiently for him. “Mom? I gotta head out. I think Konani is probably waiting for me and Jack.”

“Go ahead. We can talk later, okay?”

“Okay,” Kent said, rubbing his eyes. He was half a second away from crying. 

“I love you so much, baby. I’m so proud of you. So proud.”

“I love you too, mom. I’ll call later.” Kent then hung up the phone and slid it into his pocket. He grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and followed Jack out of the rink. “Thanks for waiting,” he said.

Jack smiled at Kent. “It’s not a problem. It’s nice that you wanted her to be the first person you told.”

“I don’t really have anyone else to call with this news.” He walked out toward the parking lot and smiled when he saw Konani waiting for them.

Konani popped the trunk of his car. “So, should we start packing your things?” he asked either one of them. He didn’t want to assume one or the other made it. But, they looked to be in a good mood.

“No, Konani,” Kent said with a smile on his face. “I’m gonna be your neighbor across the hall for a few more months. Jack too.” He put his bag in the trunk after Jack did.

“I’m glad,” Konani said with a smile. 

“Me too,” Kent said, matching Konani’s smile.

“So, you guys are here this weekend, right?” he asked.

“Yeah. Game on Sunday.”

Konani walked to the driver’s seat of the car and got in. Jack and Kent followed. “You two wanna go bowling on Saturday?” he asked. 

“With the family?” Kent asked. He liked hanging out with the DeChambeaus. He hated that he had to miss a lot of family nights because of the roadies. 

“Nah. They’re gonna see a movie. Hannah, Izzie, and Sammie want to go bowling after Joshua and Keahi’s game.”

“And you couldn’t go with Aaron or Minty?” Kent asked.

“The girls didn’t want to go with them. They wanted you two to come along.” Konani started the car. “Think of it as a way to celebrate that you two are actually here to stay for a bit.”

“I feel like he’s using us so he can go out with Hannah,” Kent said, leaning forward between the two front seats. “Do you feel that way, Jack?”

“A little,” Jack said with a laugh.

Konani reached back and pushed Kent to sit back down with a hand on his face. “Put your seatbelt on, you weirdo.”

Kent leaned back and put the belt on. “He didn’t deny it,” he said to Jack.

Jack looked over at Konani and smiled. “No, he did not.”

“I hate both of you,” Konani said.

“But you like Hannah,” Kent teased.

Kent spent the rest of the ride home saying things to embarrass Konani. It was all in good fun. By the end of the car ride, Kent and Jack agreed to go bowling with Konani. It would be the first time that the three of them were able to hang out without the rest of the family.

The last time that happened was the party.

Thank God this was not a party.

Kent went through the rest of the time wondering if it was supposed to be a date. He was going on a date.

With Jack.

Well, not with Jack. Jack was also going on a date. 

They were going on dates. Together. But not with each other.

As soon as Kent walked into the house, he walked up to Mele where she stood and picked her up. “Hey,” he said. “Guess who’s staying?” He kissed her on her cheek when she let out a happy squeal. “Yes! And Jack too!”

Mele let out an even louder squeal.

“You’re so great, Mele,” he said with a smile, kissing her again before setting her back in the floor. He should have kept holding her because she took to crawling after him wherever he walked. 

Dinner went smoothly. The DeChambeaus congratulated them on making the team. The twins told them about school and their practices. Konani asked his parents if they could go bowling with the girls after the twins’ game. Then Kent and Jack went to their bedrooms to finish up with whatever homework they had. They had to stay ahead of it.

The next day, they just worked on their homework since they didn’t have practice. Kent was grateful for that. He wanted to recover a bit before everything flipped on its head.

Saturday came around and he found himself nervous for their sort of date. Jack seemed to be in the same boat. Still, they agreed to go. And they got to do something that wasn’t hockey for just one night.

First, they had to support Joshua and Keahi at their game. 

They rode with Konani and met the rest of the family at the gym. Kent spent most of the game with Mele in his lap, cheering loudly every time one of the twins made a play.

Moments like this made Kent wish he had more family that lived closer to him.

But then he’d remember that to other people it might mean that his mom wasn’t enough.

And she was more than enough.

The game ended and Kent handed a sleeping Mele to her mom. He stepping into a car with Konani and Jack so they could head home and get ready for bowling. 

Kent decided to dress simple. He went for a nice, gray button down shirt, jeans, backwards hat. He walked out and saw Jack looking almost exactly the same way he looked the night they went to the party. Except it was a different flannel. 

“You look good,” Kent said. He felt his cheeks warm up as he said that. 

“You too,” Jack replied with ease. “I’d leave the hat, but that’s just me.”

Konani walked out of his room and looked them over. “Let’s go. The girls will meet us there,” he said.

Kent and Jack followed Konani down to the car and Kent got into the back. He put his belt on and adjusted his hat. 

It took half an hour before they arrived at the alley. Apparently it wasn’t just a bowling alley. He watched Jack and Konani step out of the car and let out a deep breath. He fiddled with his hat once more before he made the decision. He took it off and left it on his seat after he stepped out of the car.

Konani led the way to the front door and they walked through the large arcade toward the back where the bowling alley was. Once there, they saw the three girls already there.

Jack and Kent stayed back as the girls stood up and walked toward them. They had no idea how they were going to be paired up.

Kent smiled when Sammie walked up to him. “Shoes?” she asked.

Kent looked down. “You have nice ones?”

Sammie laughed and grabbed his arm. “Come on. We have to grab bowling shoes. Get ready to get your asses handed to you.”

“Excuse me. I’m an excellent bowler,” Kent argued. It was a big lie. He had bowled maybe a handful of times, and, every single time, he had broken his thumb nail and fallen on his butt.

“Well, then. Game on,” she said. Sammie walked up to the stand and got the right size of shoe. She then went to grab a bowling ball.

Kent smiled when Jack walked over with Izzie. He raised his eyebrow at him and leaned in. “Do you bowl?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Jack said under his breath. 

Kent laughed. “Well, this is gonna be fun.”

“Or embarrassing.”

They walked back to the lanes and searched through the bowling balls, trying to figure out the best ones to use. He picked up a nice blue one with glitter. It looked like space. He looked over and saw Jack pick up a bright yellow one.

“Absolutely not,” Kent said. He walked over and pulled the ball from his hand. “That thing is way too light. You’re gonna shot put that down the lane.” He handed Jack a green one that was a good weight. “Here. This one.”

The two of them walked over and set the balls down on the ball return machine. They took their seats next to Konani. “So, boys against girls, huh?” Kent asked.

“Yup,” Hannah said. “Come on. You have to enter your names in, right here.” 

The teams alternated members, with Kent finding himself last. Fine by him.

Hannah went first and picked up a spare. Kent stared, shocked. It looked like it took a lot more skill than he realized bowling needed. He then watched Konani pick up a strike. Then Izzie did the same. And then Jack picked up 8. And Sammie picked up a spare.

Kent looked at the boys. “Are… I think we’re getting hustled.”

Konani couldn't keep back a laugh. “No, we’re not getting hustled. We’re just having fun. It’s bowling. Go.”

Kent stood up and grabbed his ball. He took in a deep breath, held it, then let it out. He then approached the lane before letting the ball go. He knocked down five pins with his first try. He looked back at his teammates and shrugged as he waited for his ball to return.

When it did, he picked it up, then sent his ball down the lane again. He knocked over two more pins. He walked back to sit down. “Okay. Well, we’re relying on Konani for this,” he said.

They went frame after frame and Kent did okay. He picked up his game halfway through the frames and found himself getting spare after spare. He considered it luck. 

Jack had adjusted his game and got spares and strikes. Konani got more strikes than not, but he didn’t seem to care.

Somehow, the game ended up being a lot closer than he expected it to be. And it came down to him. 

No pressure.

But, strangely enough, a lot of pressure. Kent grabbed his ball and was about to go when Jack walked up to him. “Don’t tell me what to do, Jack,” Kent said. “I’m not controlling anything. The ball just has a mind of its own.”

Jack leaned in and rested a hand on the small of Kent’s back. “All you need is a spare, and we win.”

Kent turned his head and his eyes went wide. He didn’t realize just how close Jack’s face was. “You make it sound like I have any sort of skill to accomplish that,” Kent said with a laugh. 

“Just try.”

And damn if Kent didn’t want to just do his best because Jack wanted him to try. “And if we don't win this time?”

“Then we go again and win the second game. Or we keep bowling until we finally win.”

“We might be bowling forever.”

“There’s not strategizing in bowling!” Izzie yelled at the two of them.

Jack pulled his hand back and laughed. “Just hit the pins.”

Kent rolled his eyes. If only it were that easy. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as he approached the edge of the lane. He let the ball go and turned so he couldn’t see how many pins he knocked down. 

He turned around to see the aftermath. Six. Not bad. He grabbed his ball after it came out of the chute and approached the lane to let it go again. He was able to knock down two of the remaining four.

He shrugged at his teammates. “My bad.”

Jack and Konani looked at the girls. “Rematch,” they said. 

Kent was glad to switch with Konani so he didn’t have to go last. The second game was much closer than the first with them going back and forth with each frame. And the girls were brutal with their trash talk.

“They're so mean,” Kent said with a laugh when he sat down after getting a strike. 

“Aren’t you a hockey player?” Sammie asked.

“Yes. But I don't know what that has to do with anything,” Kent countered. “You three chirp harder than most of our teammates.”

And the girls didn’t look like they were going to let up on it, either. 

The game ended up with the girls winning by more than they did the first game.

Kent expected Jack and Konani to call for another rematch, but they didn’t. Konani stood up and smiled. “The arcade is calling me. And maybe, ice cream.”

“Yes. Ice cream,” Hannah said, picking up her ball to return it to the rack.

Everyone followed her lead returning their balls and shoes. 

Kent looked over as Sammie walked over and wrapped her arm around his. “Let’s go spend a ridiculous amount of money on games that we can’t win,” she said.

Kent laughed. “Sounds like a plan.” He started walking off, thinking that this was where the couples had some couple time.

“Izzie!” Sammie yelled. “Come on!”

Kent was wrong. He watched as Izzie dragged Jack over to them. Apparently the four of them were sticking together.

The four of them went from racing games, to skee ball, to basketball, to some weird dancing game, to air hockey. Jack and Kent mostly stayed out of it, just having fun watching the two girls play. 

The two of them spend most of the time making comments and laughing about the games the girls played. When they did go up against each other, they were really competitive about it. Kent was not above sabotage to beat Jack at the games. Jack was the same way, pushing Kent out of the way, or blocking his line of sight and laughing every time he did.

Almost two hours passed before they met up with Konani and Hannah again. She held a giant stuffed unicorn in her arms. “His name is Frank.”

“I like it,” Kent said. He looked over at Sammie. “Sorry we don’t have enough tickets for anything like that.”

“I have enough stuffed animals,” she said. She then looked at the other people. “Ice cream? It’s a nice night. We can go for a walk around the square.”

Hannah nodded to agree. “We’ll meet you at Bart’s?”

“Yup,” Konani said. He kissed Frank on his horn. “See you in a bit.” He threw his arms around Kent and Jack. “Come on.”

The three of them walked out of the place and to Konani’s car.

“So…” Kent said with a smirk. “What were you and Hannah up to?” He looked up to see Konani blushing. “I see.”

“Shut the hell up. We just played games.”

“Games, huh?” Jack added. “Like, at the arcade or…”

“I can leave you two here,” Konani said.

“So you can spend more time with Hannah?”

“I hate you both so much. Get in the car.”

Kent pushed his hat off to the side before he climbed in. He sat back and smiled. There was such a weight lifted off of his shoulders after making the team. A night like this helped to recenter himself before the season officially started.

They got out of the car after parking and met up with the girls again. The area was cute. It was a little town square that was lit up so people could walk around at night. It even had a small area in the middle for everyone to gather. Kent stepped into the shop and ordered a cone with a lot of toppings while Sammie went for something simple. He paid for both.

As they walked out the shop, Sammie was stopped by a few girls. Kent stepped off to the side so that they could talk. He was alone for only a few minutes before Sammie was back at his side. “Friends?”

“Yeah,” Sammie said. “They were asking me about cheer practice on Monday.”

“Cheer?”

“I’m a cheerleader. They cheer with me.” She looked at Kent’s expression. “Don’t you dare say anything about my squad.”

“No way," Kent said with a laugh. “My cousin is a cheerleader. One of the most badass athletes I’ve ever seen.” His shrugged and paused before he spoke again. “Her thighs could kill me,” he said, his eyes wide with the realization.

“Really?” Sammie said with a laugh.

“Yeah,” Kent said, his tone nonchalant. “She’s been one for forever. I wanted to be a cheerleader when I was a kid because of her.”

Sammie stared at Kent before furrowing her brow. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

“I did!” Kent said, taking a bite from his cone. “I did gymnastics until I was eight. I miss being able to do flips on a daily basis.”

“Again, I don’t believe you,” Sammie said.

Kent held his cone out to her. After she took it, he wiped his hands on his jeans. “I’ll trade you,” he said. “I show you one, you show me one.” He pulled his jeans up before bending down to stretch them out a little.

“I’m not going to do that,” Sammie said. He looked at Kent squatting and realized what he was about to do. “You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

Kent looked down the sidewalk and saw there was a bit of a clearing. It had been a few weeks since he’d done a flip, but it was muscle memory.

He hoped.

“Okay. Roundoff. Back handspring. Back tuck.” It was one of the few combinations he could do without fail. 

“No, don't do that. Not on the sidewalk.”

“It’s fine. Do it all the time.” Which was a bit of an exaggeration.

He checked the sidewalk one more time to make sure that no one was in the way. He took in a deep breath, then let it out as he touched his medal and his dad’s dog tags through his shirt. Then, he took off down the sidewalk. He took a few steps, went into hurdle, then his roundoff. His momentum carried him into his back handspring and then his back tuck.

He landed with his knees bent and was glad and let out a huff. He pulled it off considering his jeans were a little tighter than what should have been allowed to do those flips.

He then jogged back to Sammie with his hand on his chest, making sure the medal and tags were still there. “How did it look?”

“Holy shit,” she said, holding out his cone. “You weren’t lying.”

“I try not to lie?” Kent said, taking the cone and licking up all the melted parts.

“You’re an excellent bowler?” Sammie said raising her eyebrow and quoting him from earlier.

“That wasn’t really a lie, though?” Kent said. He smiled then laughed. “Okay. It was, but it was a worthless lie. I mean, who cares if I’m good at bowling or not?”

“You’re not gonna be a pro bowler, are you?”

“I guess not?” Kent kept eating at his cone. “So. You don’t have to do a flip if you don’t want to. I just needed an excuse to do that.”

“If you ever want an excuse to do more flips, you can totally join our squad.”

“If there were more hours in a day, more days in a week, more weeks in a month. And so on and so forth,” Kent said. He enjoyed being involved. He also enjoyed sleep.

“I get it. Hockey and school and other things.” She leaned over and gently bumped into him. “But, if you want to see me flip just come to our cheer competition in the Spring,” she said.

Kent nodded and smiled. He could do that now that he was staying in Rimouski for a few months. Then, the two of them took off down the sidewalk to talk and finish their ice cream.

The date was obviously winding down. Kent smiled as he looked up and around at everything. “This is cute,” he said as he finished his cone. “Reminds me sort of like… Stars Hollow?”

“You watch Gilmore Girls?”

“I still haven’t watched the last season,” he said. 

“It’s not worth it.” 

“So I’ve heard.” They made their way further down the sidewalk. Kent stopped every now and then to look at the small shops. He definitely wanted to come back once everything was open again.

“Nothing like New York?” she said.

“It’s like some parts,” he said. “But, I like the quiet. And I like being able to take my time.” Everything had been going so fast, and this was the first time in a long time that he felt like he could breathe. “This sort of reminds me of the area where my mom’s shop is.” The similarities made his heart ache a bit. He missed his mom so much.

“I definitely want to make my way to her shop if I ever end up in New York.” Sammie looked over and saw Kent’s eyes glisten. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “Just thinking of her.”

The two of them kept talking as they finished a lap around the small square. They ended up in the middle area, sitting on a bench with Jack and Izzie in their line of sight.

Kent saw how close Izzie and Jack were sitting and he found himself feeling something because of it. Was it jealousy? Of Jack?

He looked over when Sammie nudged his arm. He felt bad that he hadn’t been really paying much attention to her throughout the entire night. At least, not in the way people on dates were supposed to. “So. Uh… good date?” His eyes moved to Jack and Izzie again.

“I had fun,” Sammie said.

“I did too,” he admitted. It was a good night for him. “So,” he said, breaking his gaze from Jack and Izzie to look at her. “How does this night end? We kiss, right?”

Sammie let out a laugh. “In theory. But we’re not going to.”

Kent felt like he should have been offended, but, instead, he just felt relieved. “I’m not your type?”

Sammie just shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. But I’m not yours.”

“What?” Kent said rather loudly, causing everyone in the area to look at them. His eyes went wide and he felt his cheeks warm up. He immediately dropped his gaze. “No. You’re awesome. You’re funny. Smart. Awesome at arcade games and bowling. Very pretty—”

“But I’m not who you want,” Sammie interrupted.

“Who do I want?” Kent asked. He looked up and his eyes immediately went to Jack again.

“You're kinda looking at him.”

Kent felt his blood run cold. He turned his head and stared at Sammie with wide eyes. “I… what?”

“You don’t want me. I’m not Jack,” Sammie said with a reassuring tone. “Which is fine. You want Jack.”

“I…”

“Kent,” she said, resting her hand on Kent’s thigh and squeezing it reassuringly. “It’s okay. I think it’s cute. You two get along well. He smiles when he’s with you. You two have this weird banter going on that anyone would kill for. And the way you two just like… gravitate toward each other.”

“I… uh…” Kent had no idea what to make of it.

“You don’t see it.”

“See what?” He liked Jack? Jack smiled with him?

“You’re so cute,” she said, leaning into him. “I’m not saying you like him or he likes you. I don't know your feelings. But you two are close. Really close. You stood up to that jerk and got punch in the face protecting him.” She shook her head again, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Maybe I’m just misreading the entire thing.”

Kent put his arm around her shoulders for a more comfortable position. “I don’t really know?” he said.

Sammie shrugged. “It’s cool. I mean, we’re young, right? Exploring things. Falling in and out of love with a snap of a finger. And we can’t really control it.” She took in a deep breath and let it out. She looked over at Jack and Izzie. “Not saying that you love him, or anything. But falling in love with your best friend is so damn easy.”

Kent’s eyes followed Sammie’s.

She was looking over at Jack’s direction too.

But wasn’t looking at Jack. 

Oh.

He bit his bottom lip, unsure of what to say next. He had crushes before. He didn’t care if it was guys or girls, but most times he leaned more toward guys. Maybe one guy in particular at this point in his life. “I’m too busy to fall in love,” he said. “I got school and hockey.”

“And he has the same things. And he lives with you.”

Kent had to laugh. Those were definitely some positive factors. “I’m not sure how I feel about him. But… I think I feel something?” And even if he did feel something for Jack, he wasn’t going to act on them. He was not about to assume that anything about Jack’s feelings. 

Sammie sighed and shrugged. “To friggen teenage hormones,” she said, holding up her fist. 

Kent raised a hand and bumped his fist against hers. “To friggen teenage hormones,” he said with a sigh. He dragged his hand down his face before throwing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “Damnit,” he whispered, dropping his gaze when he saw Izzie and Jack laughing about something.

He wasn’t jealous of Jack.

He was screwed. 


	8. Chapter 8

Their last game of the preseason went decently enough. The coaches shuffled the lines every period which was not helpful in building chemistry. Still, Kent got an assist. Jack got two goals.

The two of them making the team seemed right. 

The practice after making the team Kent was put in the same room with the team psychologist. Nervous didn’t even begin to cover how Kent felt about the entire thing.

He was expected to just talk. 

While he never had a problem speaking, there was something terrifying about not knowing the consequences of what he said or didn’t say.

The fact that Kent was allowed to go to practice the next day told him that he passed whatever test it was. 

So Kent attended every practice and played the best he could. The coaches announced that he made the third line before the first game. Of course, Jack made the first line. 

Then practices picked up.

Kent found himself tired and sleeping as early as Jack because of how exhausted he was by dinner time. But, it made him wake up early enough that he could get some homework done before practices.

Once or twice a week, he’d head to campus with Jack and Konani and sit in the library to study. As much as he liked staying with Mele, given the choice between studying and watching cartoons with her, he almost always chose the cartoons. 

Sitting in a library for hours on his own was never easy. He was constantly distracted, but at the end of the day he got some work done. And it was always nice whenever Jack or Konani would stop by and check on him.

Jack made sure Kent stayed focused.

“You can’t play if your grades are bad, Kent.”

“Thanks, mom,” Kent would say rolling his eyes.

They had that conversation more times than he liked to admit. It started and ended the same, but they still had it over and over again. Then, the lecture would end.

Which Kent was grateful for.

It was good to stay on track when talking to Jack.

What the track was, Kent wasn’t sure of.

But ever since his talk with Sammie, Kent noticed things. 

He noticed how Jack was always close and ready to defend him whenever someone, mostly Booth, tried to criticize his game. Kent always did the same whenever someone tried to come after Jack, but it didn’t happen as often. But whenever Jack had the same look on his face he had that night at the party, Kent would go into defensive mode. 

He noticed how focused Jack would be during his pregame when he’d make his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, while Kent ate his yellow Starbursts. Jack would lace his skates and tape his stick halfway through Kent’s three hour long warm-up playlist Minty made for him. He noticed that Jack would wait for him before the two of them joined the team for pregame soccer.

He noticed how reassuring Jack always was, with his words and his touches.

Kent noticed how Jack smiled. And when.

Sammie was right.

Damn if Kent didn’t like seeing Jack smile.

And sometimes being the cause of it.

Kent tried his best not to act any differently around Jack after their double date.

On the ice it was business as usual. They skated together. Made plays. They roomed together when they went on roadies.

Off the ice, because he was much more hyperaware of how he interacted with Jack, he kept his distance.

It wasn’t very far considering they lived together. And played on the same team. And were together at almost every waking moment.

It wasn’t that Kent didn’t notice Jack before, but now he really noticed him. 

Kent thought he was being subtle with his avoidance, but almost everyone saw the change in their relationship. He could feel the stares from their teammates, coaches, and the DeChambeaus whenever he and Jack weren't within five feet of each other. He could tell Konani wanted to ask if something happened, but he never did. 

His mom even asked if something happened, noting that Kent wasn’t talking about Jack as much.

It made Kent realize that he had to have mentioned Jack a lot in their conversations for his mom to bring it up.

Scrolling back through their texts, Jack was the subject of about half of their conversations.

He wished he was surprised. 

The last person he expected to notice him keeping his distance was Jack. 

After their fourth game of the season, which ended in a loss, Jack had chosen to sit with Mega on the bus ride back. Kent felt the distance. He wanted to believe it was because of their third loss in four games. It may have played a part, but he was smart enough to know it was something more.

The car ride home was even more awkward. Kent sat in the back while Jack got into the passenger’s with his headphones on. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, and, honestly, neither did Kent. 

Kent wanted to get home, do a bit of homework, and regroup. He hated losing just as much as Jack did.

After changing into his pajamas, Kent settled into bed with a book in hand. He was ready to start reading when he heard a knock. “Yeah?” The door opened to reveal Jack on the other side. “Oh,” he said. “Hey?”

Jack stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. “Why are you acting weird?” he asked, staying near the door.

Kent furrowed his brow and frowned. He was on the defensive. “I’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” Jack countered.

“Jack.”

“We haven’t really talked since we went out with Sammie and Izzie,” Jack said. “That was weeks ago.”

“What exactly is there to talk about?” Kent asked. They still talked about simple things. School stuff. Hockey stuff. But they hadn’t had a real conversation since Kent realized there was something more between them.

A crush.

Kent had a crush.

On Jack.

“I don’t know. Was it something I did or said?” Jack asked.

“Did you do something?” Kent asked. The second those words left his mouth, he felt guilty. It wasn’t fair for him to turn his insecurities on Jack.

“No?” Jack sighed, his shoulders slumping. He shook his head. “Just. Never mind. Good night, Kent.” He turned to open the door so he could leave.

“Wait, Jack,” Kent said, quickly moving to the edge of the bed. “It’s…” 

“What?” Jack said, turning around to see Kent sitting on the edge of the bed.

Kent stared at him with wide eyes. What the hell was he supposed to say now? “Busy,” he said, fighting back a wince. Even he knew how lame that excuse sounded. “I’ve just been busy.”

“Book reports and trigonometry. I know. I’ve seen your homework.”

“Calculus, actually,” Kent corrected. “But. Yeah.” 

Jack stood in place, staring at Kent, trying to read the room. It took a moment or two before Jack felt okay enough to carry on the conversation. “You need to come with me and Konani to campus more often.”

“But Mele,” Kent said.

Jack rolled his eyes, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned against the door with a soft smile. “You aren’t a babysitter, Kent.’

Kent ran his fingers through his hair. “I know, I know.” As much as he liked spending time with Mele, the little girl had to be at least a 4 on his list of priorities. “But she’s almost walking. And she’s turning one soon. Like… you can’t blame me for wanting to hang out with her. They grow up so fast, Jack.”

“Your grades—”

“Are fine,” Kent interrupted.

“If you say so,” Jack said. He did believe him, though. Kent was smart. He saw Kent work hard to complete everything on time, even if he had to lose a bit of sleep over it. He was still on top of everything a few weeks into the season.

“They are. I’m not gonna be valedictorian, but I’m gonna graduate.”

“Okay.” 

Kent pulled his legs back and wrapped his arms around them. “And what about you?”

“What about me?”

Kent had to smile. Of course Jack wasn’t ready to reciprocate in the conversation without prompt. “I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “Like you said, we haven’t really talked. School going okay? I know hockey is… decent.” He wanted to say fine, but being less than .500 was not fine. “Personal life?”

“You sound like the team psychologist,” Jack said.

The subtle subject change was nice. “Did you hate the entire process as much as I did?”

“They’re supposed to be helping us,” Jack said.

Kent let out a laugh. That was something that they had heard over and over again throughout the first week of the season. “But…”

“They’re supposed to be helping us,” Jack repeated, this time with even less emotion.

“You sound like a robot.”

“Who focuses on hockey too much.”

That response came way too quickly for Kent’s liking. He frowned and stared. “You doing okay? Did they say something to you?”

“I’m good,” Jack said.

Kent did not believe that for one second. And now, he was concerned. There was no reason for Jack to sound like that. “They get in your head?” he asked.

Jack pushed himself off the door and made his way to the bed. He sat down next to Kent. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to them. Yes, I like hockey. That’s it, right?”

Talking to the shrinks had happened weeks ago. Had Jack been hiding this anxiety over it for that long? He dragged his hand down his face and sighed. 

Kent felt guilty about Jack not having anyone to talk to about it. He knew Jack didn’t really talk to other people on the team. Or anyone. Besides his parents. Sometimes.

But he did talk to Kent.

And Kent had been avoiding him.

“You’re more than hockey,” Kent said. “You know that, right?”

Jack sighed and nodded. “I know. I know that. I just.” He looked over at Kent. “You’re supposed to just talk to them. It’s so weird.”

“The talking part or the shrink part?” Kent asked.

“The talking part. I don’t… I’m not good at talking to people,” Jack said. 

“You talk to me. You talked to Izzie.”

“Izzie did most of the talking,” Jack corrected. “She had a lot of things to say, which was nice. Took the pressure off of me to choose the topic. Which would’ve been hockey.”

The more Kent thought about that night, Jack mostly reacted to whatever Izzie had said. Maybe some of the fallout from that night came from the fact that someone else had made Jack smile and laugh. 

Kent wanted to look at Jack, but, instead, he chose to stare at the floor. “And me?” He didn’t want to make the conversation about him, but he wanted to hear what Jack had to say about how easily they could talk to each other. 

“I know you,” Jack said, his tone simple. “I know I can talk to you.” Then his brow furrowed. “Except recently. I think I may have done something.”

“You didn’t, Jack. Just. Busy.” He finally looked up, needing to make eye contact with him so that he could make him understand. He wanted to make sure that Jack knew that this was all on him. “This was me being… busy. I promise, we’re good.”

Jack nodded. “Well, if you promise.”

“I do,” Kent said. “I’ll make time for you, Jack.”

“Do you have time now?” Jack asked. He looked back and saw a discarded book on Kent’s bed. “If you need to get back to your homework, it can wait.”

“I have time.” It was a bit of a lie. He could always wake up early and finish reading. Besides, he still had a few days to type up his response. “What’s up?” He pushed the book Jack was looking at under his pillow.

“I can see why you don’t like Booth,” Jack said.

The last week had been a little difficult. They had lost a game badly and wanted to turn it around with tonight’s game, but it did not go their way. Passes weren’t made and people took it upon themselves to do too much. There wasn’t any chemistry yet. Which was understandable since it was still early in the season. 

But Jack didn’t want to wait that long. He wanted to make a statement in the league. Early.

“You saw why the first week, Jack,” Kent said. “He’s so cocky.”

“He is,” Jack agreed.

“But he can play.” Kent hated to admit that, but Booth played hard enough that he had earned his position on the first line. 

“Also true.” While Jack and Booth could both play with Cookie, they couldn’t figure out how to play with each other. 

“Well, you only have to play with him for one year.”

“Why do you say that?” Jack asked.

“Well, he could declare for the draft after this year. And you're definitely going into the draft,” Kent said.

“It’s not definite,” Jack said. 

Kent let out a laugh. “Come on, Jack,” he said. He shook his head and scooted so that he could lean against the headboard of his bed. He stared at Jack. “You could’ve been in the Q last year, but you stayed back in… Minnesota? Wherever you were.” He shrugged, still unsure of what state Jack was in for a few years. “And you’re already the talk of the town here.” 

Jack had made a name for himself at the school he played. And he was Bad Bob and Alicia Zimmermann’s son which some said was the only reason Jack was as recognized as he was. There was a lot of pressure on him to take the next step. Everyone knew that Jack was the future of the NHL.

“Nothing is guaranteed, Kent.” 

“Well, you have the Russia Challenge. And probably the WJC. Your name will be out there.”

“I have to make those teams, first.”

“I will bet you five bucks that you make both of those teams this year.”

“And what about you?”

What about him? “Well, I’ll be on this team until they trade me, or someone calls for me and is like… hey, we need a small, blonde, fast hockey player.”

“You’re more than that,” Jack said quickly.

“No one sees me on the third line, Jack.”

“Which means no one will see you when you climb up the rankings and get drafted this year too. It makes you sneaky. ”

“I have to be more than sneaky.” Regardless of sneakiness, speed, and skill, he was still one of the smallest people on the ice.

“You are, Kent,” Jack said rolling his eyes. “I already told you that.”

Kent frowned. “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Have all this confidence in me? It’s weird.” It was nice to hear, but it made him uncomfortable since he didn’t feel like he was as good as Jack made him sound.

Jack turned and and put his hand on one of Kent’s feet. “I’ve been surrounded by hockey players all my life. Good… great hockey players. I know legitimately good player from the fake good players.” He gave Kent’s foot a light squeeze. “You are legitimately good.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Uncle Wayne and Uncle Mario say that I can.” 

Uncle? Kent was sure that Jack’s dad was an only child. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he realized who Jack was talking about. “Uncle… No. You can’t just call those two legends uncle nonchalantly.”

Jack laughed and raised an eyebrow at him. “Big word, Kent.”

Kent pushed Jack hard enough for him to flop over for a moment. “I hate you.” 

“I hope not,” he replied as he sat back up. “I should let you go. It’s late. We should both head to bed.”

Kent nodded at him. “Yeah. I’ll get a chapter read then I’ll turn in.” He reached under his pillow and pulled out the book.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Jack said, standing up. He stretched a bit before heading to the door.

“Hey, Jack?” Kent said before Jack could open the door and leave. He waited for Jack to turn around before he continued. “Um. Thanks for coming to talk to me.”

Jack smiled softly and ran his fingers through his hair. “Any time, Kent,” he said. He then walked out of Kent’s room, gently shutting the door behind him. 

Kent watched Jack leave. He moved to lean against his headboard as he started to read. He was the most relaxed he’d been weeks. He wondered why talking to Jack did that to him.

He wasn’t going to question it.

Not yet.

The next few weeks went by much easier. Kent’s relationships with Jack returned to the way it was before. Even if he was more hyperaware of the way they interacted, he did nothing to change it. They got along much better that way.

Hockey was a different story.

The team was doing okay. They would win a few games. Lose more.

It was frustrating for everyone.

The coaches were desperate to find line combinations that fit. Jack and Cookie were fixtures on the first line. Booth moved back and forth between the first and second. Kent stayed on the third line with people constantly moving around him. A lot of the time the coaches put him on the power play.

He did what he could whenever they asked.

He wanted to play his part.

He wanted the team to win.

He wanted Jack to stop taking every loss so hard.

After every loss, Kent kept his distance from Jack until Jack was okay enough to approach. Jack would shower up, then walk to the bus or car and not say a thing. Kent wished he could find the right words to say to make Jack feel less like the losses were his fault.

The only person Jack wanted to talk to after games was his dad. In their hotel room, or through Jack’s door, Kent would listen to them talk in French. Kent didn’t want to eavesdrop, not that he could understand what Jack said, but it seemed to help Jack whenever they talked.

Whatever Bad Bob said on the other end of the phone always made Jack react. Sometimes they weren’t the best reactions. Sometimes he would disappear into the hotel bathroom for an hour. Or, Jack would eat with the family and head straight for his room right after washing dishes. 

As frustrated and angry as Jack would be, he would always say good night to Kent. And good game, even when Kent didn’t feel like he had a good game. If those were the only words Jack would say to him after those games, it was enough.

It took the team five weeks to go on a small winning streak after they had finally figured out the lines.

They were one game away from five hundred when it happened.

Kent was about to jump on the ice when he saw Booth take a hit and collapse on the ice. Kent’s eyes went wide and he immediately looked over to Jack.

Why? He wasn’t sure.

Booth didn’t make it back to his feet and needed to be helped off the ice. Kent watched as Booth headed to the locker room. He tapped his stick against the boards to show his support.

Then he got on the ice for his shift.

He did his best to push the distractions out of his mind until the game ended. They won the game with the team scoring the most goals in a game all season. He always liked whenever teams would rally around a teammate.

As soon as the game ended, Kent showered and packed up his things. He followed Jack out of the rink and saw Konani waiting for them.

“The coaches are heading to the hospital,” Jack said as he loaded his bag into the trunk. “Do you think we could go there for a little bit? I want to see how Booth is doing.”

“The same Booth that Kent talks about fighting at least once a week?”

“I probably still will,” Kent said.

Jack looked over at Kent. “Konani can drop you off at home if you don’t want to come with me. I feel like I have to go since I’m a captain.”

“I’ll go with you,” Kent said. “It feels really mean to be mad at an injured person.” He looked at Konani. “You mind dropping us off?”

“Not at all. Minty lives close to that and I can just hang out and mess with his music while you two be good teammates.”

Kent got into the backseat and texted his mom about what had happened. The injury was a lot to process, and it always helped to text his mom, even if she didn’t have time to reply.

They arrived a few minutes later and found their coaches in the waiting room. “Booth’s out for at least eight weeks,” Coach Parker said as soon as they saw them.

“Holy shit,” Kent said a lot louder than he meant to. He winced when he saw everyone in the waiting room turn to look at him. “Sorry.”

“At least it’s still sort of in the beginning of the season,” Coach Gallagher replied. “He’ll be back in time for the second half.” 

Jack dragged his hand down his face and groaned. “<<Just when we were finally figuring out our lineup.>>”

Kent didn’t understand what Jack said, but his tone and expression gave him a good idea. “We’ll be fine, Jack.” His eyes went wide as Jack took off down the hall, away from the rooms. “Jack!” Kent put his hand over his mouth, realizing he was yelling. He was going to chase after him, but they weren’t there for Jack. “Can I go see him?”

“Yeah,” Coach Parker said. “Go ahead. Just don’t stay too long. You two need to get some rest after this win. Room 307.”

Kent nodded and was about to head down the hall. He stopped, wondering if he should’ve gone to find Jack first. He sighed after a few seconds and continued to the room. Jack would visit Booth once he calmed down.

He knocked before letting himself in. “Hey,” he said.

Booth looked over at Kent and frowned. He did not try to hide the confusion on his face. “What are you doing here?”

Kent stepped into the room. “Just wanted to check up on you,” he said. “Felt like the right thing to do.” He didn’t know why he said that. It should’ve been Jack to be the one to say it, but Jack was missing in action at the moment.

Booth groaned and dragged both hands down his face. He then pressed his palms into his eyes and shook his head. “I cannot believe this fucking happened,” he said, frustrated. He dropped his hands to his sides. 

“It was just… really unlucky.” It could’ve been anyone taking that hit. It could’ve been Krush. Or Cookie. Or Jack.

Jack could be the one lying in the hospital bed.

He tried not to think about how glad he was it wasn’t Jack lying in front of him.

“I’m gonna be out for so long,” Booth said.

Kent was sure that Booth would’ve been crying if he were talking to anyone else. “It’ll be okay. You’ll rest up. You’ll do your rehab. Then you’ll come back stronger.”

“Two months. At least,” Booth argued. He shook his head. “I’ll miss everything.” Booth, Jack, and Krush all got the call to work out for the QMJHL team to play against the Russians. If Jack were the one laying in the hospital bed, he’d miss out on the chance. “And the scouts. This isn’t how I wanted this season to go.”

“I think it’ll turn out okay for you. It’s not that bad. The injury could’ve been a lot worse, you know?” He hoped. He didn’t know enough about injuries. He wasn’t even sure what the injury was, but it had to be bad if Booth was out for two months.

“Yeah. Whatever,” Booth said with a sigh. “Why are you being nice to me?” he asked after a pause.

“Because you aren’t pissing me off, right now,” Kent said with a shrug. “Seriously, though. Heal up. We’ll hold down the fort until you get back.”

“You better get back to being an asshole as soon as I can get skates on,” Booth said with a small smirk.

“Of course,” Kent said simply. “Hating you will always be my default.” At the moment he couldn’t hate him. He wanted him to get better and get back on the ice.

This injury could’ve happened to anyone. The sooner Booth got back on the ice, the better Kent would feel about bouncing back if something ever happened to him.

“Thanks, Parser.”

“Any time.” He looked at the clock on the wall and realized that Booth probably needed to rest. “I’m gonna let you get some sleep. Or maybe not. Our teammates could be waiting in the waiting room to storm in here for all I know. But. Yeah. I should head out.”

“Go. Keep kicking ass, okay?”

“Of course.”

As Kent stepped out of the room, he saw Jack standing in the hallway. He was about to say something, but instead he stepped off to the side. Jack walked into Booth’s room while Kent made his way back to the waiting room where he saw Cookie, Degs, and Harper.

Instead of trying to talk to the veterans, Kent sat down to see if his mom had texted him back yet.

By the time he looked up, Jack was standing in the waiting room. He quickly stood up and texted Konani to get them.

He looked up at Jack as they walked toward the parking lot. “You okay?” Kent asked as they stood outside waiting for Konani.

“Will Booth be okay?” Jack asked.

Kent raised his eyebrow at him. “You talked to him, didn’t you?”

“Not as long as you did,” Jack said. “You’re a lot better at this personable thing than I am.” 

“You’re not as bad at it as you think, Jack,” he said leaning over to nudge him. “You were the one that thought to come here.”

“Yeah. I guess so,” Jack said. He looked over at Kent and smiled at him. “Coach told me he’s moving you up to the second line at the next practice.”

Kent slowly turned his head and stared at Jack with wide eyes. Jack couldn’t have just said what Kent thought he said. “What?”

Jack let out a laugh. “You deserve it. You’ve been making plays. And you could play well with Degs and Harper.” 

“Really?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Kent,” Jack said. “The coaches saw what I’ve seen since the first day we were on the ice together.”

“You hated me then.”

“I didn’t hate you,” Jack countered. He raised his hand to stop Kent from saying anything. “I just didn’t know if I could like you yet.”

“But you like me now.”

“You know this.”

Kent did. “Am I ready for this?”

Jack pulled Kent close and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before he let go. “I think you are,” he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. “You’ve been ready since you got here. The coaches weren’t.”

“Why don’t you ever talk about yourself like this?” Kent asked. Jack could be the cockiest player on the ice and no one would be able to say anything against it. He was that good. 

“No one wants to hear that.”

“Well, I think you’re great.” Kent furrowed his brow when he realized what he said. “Hockey player. You’re a great hockey player.” Smooth. “You know this.”

Jack dropped his head and smiled softly. “Thanks, Kent,” he said.

And, damn, if Jack didn’t look really good in the terrible outdoor lamp light. “Yeah. No problem.” He looked up in time to see Konani come around the corner. “Let’s go home?”

Jack nodded and walked up to the passenger side. “I’m sure you want to call your mom and tell her the good news.”

“You know me so well,” Kent said. He was nothing if not predictable. If his mom wasn’t going to be the first person who found out about all the good things happen to him, she would be the second.

“Yeah,” Jack said, opening the door. “I do.”

Kent got into the back and was glad that no one was able to see his face. He was sure he was blushing by the warmth of his cheeks.

Jack did know him. And he knew Jack.

It would have been difficult to avoid that since they spent so much time together.

It scared him. Because if Jack knew him this well, then it would only be a matter of time before Jack figured out how Kent felt about him.

And who knew how Jack would react?

He just hoped that he would be able to hide whatever he was feeling. Or just stop feeling those things all together.

But every private moment he had with Jack made it harder to stop whatever feelings he had for his teammate. The closer they were in lines, the more private moments they had.

At the end of the first practice after Booth’s injury, Jack stopped Kent from heading to the locker room with the rest of the team. “Jack?”

Jack met Coach Gallagher’s eyes and nodded at him. He dropped his hand from Kent’s shoulder and twirled his stick. “Coach said we can stay on the ice if you’re okay with staying a little longer? I told Konani I’d call when we’re done. Do you need to head home soon? Homework?”

Kent had a little bit of homework he had to get to, but staying for another half hour wouldn’t put him off schedule. “Nah. I’m not in a rush.” He made sure his helmet was back on and skated toward the pucks on the ice. “What are we working on?”

Jack thought for a few seconds. There were dozens of things that they could’ve worked on, but their options were limited with only the two of them. He looked up and saw the coaches standing at the door to watch them. “One timers?”

“You really don’t need to work on that,” Kent said, skating, taking a puck and shooting it into the goal. “Your shot is already devastating.”

“It could be. People need to place the puck better,” he said.

Kent understood. Chemistry. He had a handful of assists this season, and he would have had more if people could just score. Jack, on the other hand, should have had more goals, but their teammates couldn’t get the puck to him. When the coaches would put them on the power play together, more times than not, they came out of it with a point each.

But Jack hadn't asked any other teammate to stay back. “Are you talking about me?” he asked. “Because, we’re not on the same line. There’s only so much I can do from the bench.”

“I’m pretty much talking about everyone else besides you,” Jack said. He grabbed the cones and placed them around the half of the rink they were on. 

“What are we doing?”

Jack skated down to the open ice. “Two man breakaway?” he asked. “Cones are a d man that got back?”

“Sure,” Kent said. “But, I’m faster than you.”

“I know you’re faster than me, Kent. That’s not the drill,” Jack said. 

“So, I’ll  get the puck first and feed it to you.”

“I can get some assists too, you know.” 

“But my passes always look better,” Kent replied, with a smirk. He put a puck at the blue line and smiled. “Down the rink, around the net, then back to get the puck. Then breakaway down.”

“Checking allowed?”

“If you can catch me,” Kent said.

“Or I tire you out,” Jack said.

Kent held back a response. If only Jack could hear the things he said sometimes. He lined up at the edge of the face-off circle at center ice while Jack did the same on the other side. “Ready?” he said, getting into position.

“On my whistle!” yelled Coach Brassard from the edge of the ice.

Kent looked over at Jack and sent him a wink. When their coach blew the whistle they were on their way. 

Kent was the first around the net, but he took the turn a bit too wide. It gave Jack a chance to catch up, cut off the angle, and get in the way. Still, Kent got to the puck first and skated back.

“Jack, go,” he said.

Jack took off down the ice. Kent skated down the wing, staring at the cones that were supposed to be players. He looked across the ice to see Jack’s path, then sent the puck down to exactly where Jack ended up. Jack took the shot and the puck hit the back of the net. 

“Nice shot,” Kent said with a smile when Jack skated over.

“Nice pass.”

Kent rolled his eyes. “It’s not the same when we’re playing against cones.”

“Well, we’ve played against other players that don’t know how to keep their feet moving.”

Kent dragged his hand down his face. “I’m so glad you like me,” he said. “I can’t begin to imagine the shit you would say about me if we weren't friends.”

“Nothing bad,” Jack said. “You can play. I know you can play.”

Kent smiled. To think how much closer they were from the day they met. He got another puck and put it back at center ice. He looked back and saw Coach Parker and Coach Gallagher on the ice with them. “What is happening here?”

“Two on one,” Coach Parker said. 

“Oh?” Kent said, raised his eyebrow.

“Well, you have to pick my pocket first,” Coach Brassard said.

“We got this,” Jack said.

The two of them lined up at the edge of the circle again as Coach Brassard skated between them and took the puck. He passed the puck to Parker. “Ready,” he said to the boys. He put the whistle to his lips and blew it. He skated around to get the puck back.

Once he got it from Parker he skated around to get away from Kent and Jack.

Jack was able to get the puck and skated down. “Parse, go,” he said.

Kent took off down the ice, trying to get around Coach Parker. Once he had a good lane he got the puck from Jack. He turned and took a shot on goal.

He turned to point at Jack once the puck hit the back of the net. “Nice pass!”

“Didn’t feel as smooth as the passes I get from you,” Jack said. 

“It was fine,” Kent said, rolling his eyes.

“Pointers?”

“Half a second faster. I know you know where I’m gonna be. Just send it faster. Because I’m faster than you,” he teased.

“Line it up again,” Brassard said.

“They’re turning this into a real practice,” Kent said.

“Do you want to go home?”

“Nah,” Kent said. “I might as well practice with you as long as I can since you’ll be playing the Russians in a few weeks.”  What was he going to do without Jack during that time?

“I’ll only be gone for two weeks at the most,” Jack said.

“And Cookie will hold down the fort until you come back.”

“The team will be fine.”

“Are you two done?” Parker asked.

Kent skated to the opposite edge of center ice so that he could work on skating on the other side. He leaned over to wait for the whistle. Once it blew, he went straight for Brassard.

It took him a moment before he was able to pick Coach Brassard’s pocket. He didn’t even need to say anything as Jack already took off down the ice.

Kent stayed in the middle of the ice, watching Jack get to the open ice. Kent looked back, making sure that Brassard didn’t try to sneak behind him. He kept skating then passed the puck between Parker’s legs, getting it to Jack who one timed it into the net.

“How the hell did you do that?” Jack said, skating back over.

“I was either skill or luck. You can choose,” Kent said with a laugh. He skated back to center ice.

“Make that pass again,” Brassard said.

“Can you make that pass again?” Jack asked.

“I’ll get the puck to you no matter where you go,” Kent said with a smirk. “Except from the bench.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Well. You need to work with the first line.”

Brassard blew his whistle before Kent could say anything, which sent them down the ice again.

They did that a few more times and before they knew it an hour had passed.

Kent groaned as he skated off the ice and flopped onto the bench. “Legs,” he said. “And arms. And… everything else.”

Jack smiled at him and skated over. “Come on. We gotta shower and call Konani to come get us.”

“This isn’t gonna be a thing, right? I don’t think I’ll survive if this is a regular thing.”

“It won’t be a thing. Maybe once a week.”

“Or we could test you out on the same line.”

Kent shook his head. “No way. Jack and Cookie and Krush work,” he said. Besides, today was only the first day he was on the second line with Degs and Harper. He wondered just how things would change once Jack and Krush left to play Russia.

Once they got back to the locker room, Kent texted Konani and showered up. He put on his hoodie and jeans and waited outside with Jack. He appreciated being able to skate on the ice without thirty other people on it with him. 

They got home, ate dinner, then Kent went to his bedroom to do some homework before falling asleep.

The next few practices were more or less the same. It took a bit of time for the team to get used to Booth not being on the team. Everyone worked a little harder to make sure they made progress and made the postseason. 

But everyone knew the team would get disrupted again once two of their players left to play in the Russia Challenge.

Two weekends before Jack was supposed to leave and one weekend before Mele’s first birthday, Kent found himself in the kitchen helping Auntie Mahea prep for dinner.

“Auntie Mahea?” he said softly as he finished peeling an onion.

“Yes, Kent?” she asked, peeling the last of the carrots.

“Uh. Mom is sending a cake for Mele’s birthday,” Kent said. “Is that okay?” He didn’t know if they already had a cake ordered, or if he was overstepping by doing something like this.

“Oh, honey. Of course it is. She didn’t have to do that.”

“I think she wanted to.” Mostly because he wanted her to want to. “She sends treats all the time. She said a cake wouldn’t be a big deal. It’s something small.”

“Will it get here okay?”

“They usually do.”

Mahea nodded. “Well. Next time you talk to her. I’d like to thank her.”

“Sure thing, auntie,” he said with a smile.

“Okay.” She reached out and grabbed the onion from Kent. “I know you’re trying to stay here long enough so you can help in the kitchen, but you have homework.” She gently slapped his hand as he grabbed another onion. “Go.”

Kent set the onion down and laughed. “Yeah. Okay.”

“And don’t take a detour to play with Mele.”

“Would I really do that?” Kent asked.

“Yes. Now, go. Homework.”

Kent nodded and headed upstairs. He ran into Jack at the top. “Hey,” he said with a smile.

“Hey,” Jack replied. “Homework?”

“Yeah. You?”

“I finished,” Jack said. “I’m watching some hockey tapes.”

Of course Jack was watching hockey tapes. “You wanna trade? I’ll watch that, you watch this boring history documentary that I have to write a response to.”

“History?” Jack asked, his eyes wide.

Kent had never seen Jack react that way to anything that wasn’t hockey. “Yeah?” he said slowly.

“I’ll watch it with you.”

“Really.” Kent’s tone was incredulous. Why would anyone want to willingly watch a history documentary?

“I like history.”

“Jack. You don't have to do this,” Kent said. Just because he didn’t want to do it didn’t mean Jack had to suffer for it. 

“I’ll make popcorn.” He stepped around Kent, already heading down the stairs. 

“This isn’t like a movie movie, Jack,” Kent said. If it was, he would’ve been a little more enthusiastic about it. “It’s a documentary.”

“I’ll be in your room in ten. Is it World War II? Civil War? What events are we watching?” Jack shook his head taking a few more steps down. “It doesn’t matter. Get it ready. I’ll make popcorn.”

“Oh my god, you nerd,” Kent said with a smile on his face. It was fascinating and endearing to see Jack excited about things other than hockey.

“Unless you want to watch it on your own.” Jack stopped and looked at Kent. “I realized I invited myself to your homework assignment.”

“No, no,” Kent said, heading to his room. “You’ll keep me awake.”

Jack smiled and headed downstairs without saying another word.

Kent went to the bathroom first to wash his hands when they realized they still smelled like onions. When he stepped into his room, he fixed his bed so that he and Jack could comfortably sit on it.

He sat and waited on his bed with his laptop in his lap as he set up the movie. He looked over when Jack walked in with a huge bowl.

“I have popcorn,” Jack said with a smile, walking over and climbing into Kent’s bed. He set the bowl down between them. He picked up a handful and shoved it into his mouth.

Seeing Jack snack on things was always a sight. “I think you think this will be a lot more exciting than it actually is,” Kent said, taking a few pieces from the bowl and eating it.

“Do you know who is narrating it?”

Kent looked at Jack, in shock. “How many of these things do you watch that you have preference? Is there a difference?”

“You’re right. It doesn’t matter,” Jack said. 

Kent shook his head. Just when he thought he knew Jack, he would go and nerd out like this. “Can you see if I have the laptop on my lap?” he asked. 

“I think I have to scoot in,” Jack replied. He picked up the bowl and set it in his lap.  He scooted over so that he was as close to Kent without touching him. “Is this okay?”

Kent looked over and saw how close they were actually sitting. He nodded. “Yeah,” he said. He scooted the laptop over so that it could rest on both of their thighs. “Ready?”

Jack nodded and grabbed another handful of popcorn. “Go ahead,” he said.

“Sure thing,” he said. Kent pressed play and sat back. He just hoped he’d pay attention to the documentary instead of the person who was watching it with him.


	9. Chapter 9

Kent woke to the sound of tiny hands slapping his door. 

“Ken! Keeeeeennnnnnnnnnnn!”

Kent sat up and groaned, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. “Coming, coming.” He put on his basketball shorts and opened the door. He reached down to catch Mele before she fell down. 

“Ken,” she said, grabbing his cheeks and kissing him on his lips.

“Hey, you,” Kent said, picking her up. “Happy birthday!” He carried her downstairs and saw the birthday preparations already starting. Kent put Mele down and watched her run over to the twins. He looked over at Evan and Mahea. “Can I help?” he asked.

“You can head back upstairs and sleep a little more, Kent,” Mahea said. “I thought the twins were watching her. I’m sorry she woke you.”

“It’s okay, auntie. Just call me if you need extra hands.”

“Ken!” Kent heard as he left the kitchen.

“Keahi, grab your sister!” Mahea yelled.

Kent smiled as he headed back upstairs. He walked back into his room, laid on the bed, and fell back asleep for another two hours.

He woke, washed up, dressed, then made his way downstairs.

The amount of people at the DeChambeau residence surprised him. 

Family, friends and neighbors, had shown up to celebrate Mele’s first birthday. Konani had even invited a few of his friends. 

Alicia and Bob drove up for the party, and to watch the last few games before Jack left to play against the Russians. 

By noon, the party was in full swing with Mele running around with her siblings and all the younger kids. The adults kept the party running all the while catching up with each other and staying out of Mele’s way.

Kent was glad that some of Konani’s friends had agreed to come along. He wasn’t sure how the party would go since he knew only the family members. But it was nice to see Izzie, Sammie, Hannah, and Minty walk through the door with huge bags of gifts for the little girl. 

He laughed when Mele toddled over to them and grabbed the bag that Minty was holding. Kent figured she wanted it because it was big, pink, and had an ungodly amount of glitter on it. And probably because everyone who had entered the house handed a bag or a box to her. She learned fast. 

What was most surprising was that Mele grabbed the bag and walked over to him on the couch and held the bag out to him.

“What’s that?” he asked. She put the bag in his lap, getting glitter everywhere. He looked up at Minty. “Thanks for getting the worst bag in all existence,” he said, wiping the glitter off and getting it all over his hand. “Awesome.”

“You’re welcome,” Minty replied.

“Ken!” Mele yelled, grabbing Kent’s hand and pulling with all the strength the one year old had.

“Yes. Okay,” Kent said, standing up. He held the gift and held his hand out to Mele, waiting for her to grab his fingers. He followed as she led the way over to the rest of the gifts. “You know, you have three other brothers for this.”

Mele just looked up at him and smiled, not understanding a word he said. Once he added the bag to the pile, she raised her arms and opened and closed her hands, wanting to be picked up.

“Yeah. Fine,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. He laughed as he bent down to pick her up. “Happy birthday, best friend,” he said, lifting her up. He then put her on his hip and walked into the kitchen to grab something to eat. He waved when he saw the Zimmermanns and the DeChambeaus sitting in the kitchen and talking.

“She is such a little opihi to Kent,” Mahea said.

“What does that mean?” Kent asked, reaching over to grab some strawberries. He held one out to her which she leaned over to eat it from his hand instead of grabbing it herself.

“She is very clingy with you,” Mahea replied, laughing at how lazy Mele was.

“You can take her if you want,” Kent said. He tried to hand her off, but all he received was Mele grabbing onto his shirt and growling. “Huh. Clingy is right.”

“It’s okay, Kent. It’s her birthday. Let her be with whoever she wants to be with,” Evan said.

Kent nodded and sat Mele down on the island with much protest from Mele. “Hey. I’m right here,” he said. He reached over to grab more food and hang out with the adults for a little bit.

“How are you doing, Kent?” Alicia asked.

“I’m doing okay, Mrs. Zimmermann.” He blushed when he saw her raise her eyebrow at him. “Alicia.” 

“I saw that you moved up to the second line,” Bob said.

“Bobby, we don’t have to talk about hockey so soon,” Alicia replied.

“It’s okay,” Kent said. It was the entire reason he was there. It was bound to come up. “I did. The reason kinda sucks, but I’m glad for the opportunity.”

“You seem to be doing well,” Bob said.

“Thanks. I think the team is finally figuring itself out, you know?” The lines were working out a bit better than they had been. They were winning more games than losing since the change. “I don’t know what we’re going to do once Jack leaves,” Kent said.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Alicia said.

“Yeah.” Kent turned back to Mele who had grabbed his shirt. “Okay, okay. Here,” he said, handing her another strawberry. “I’m wondering how everything will get adjusted.” Would he move down to the third line? Would he have to do more since Jack was gone? So many things to think about.

“It isn’t your job to worry about that, Kent,” Bob said, reading his expression. “Just keep playing your game.”

Kent smiled. “I’ll do that.”

Mahea walked over and sneakily grabbed Mele from Kent. “Go hang out with your friends, Kent.”

“Thank you, auntie.” Kent smiled, grabbed a bowl of fruit, and headed back to the people his age. He sat down between Jack and Konani. He looked up and saw Sammie smirking. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself,” Sammie said. 

Kent smiled at her. “How’s life?” They hadn’t spoken much since their date

“It’s going,” Sammie replied. “You?”

“You two wanna get a room or?” Konani said.

“Sure,” Kent said with a wink. “Sammie. Let’s head up to Konani’s room.”

“You walked right into that one,” Jack said.

“I did,” Konani said. He smiled when Hannah made his way over and sat down on his lap.

Jack nudged Kent and laughed. Maybe they were finally official. 

Kent was about to say something when Mele came running in from the kitchen.

“Ken!” she yelled, running into Jack’s legs and burying her face in his thigh. 

Jack stared at the little girl, trying to climb up his leg. “I’m… I’m not Kent,” he said, reaching down to help her up. 

“Ken!” she said, settling in Jack’s lap. 

Jack looked over at Kent. “Do you want to take her?”

Kent shook his head. “She’s happy where she is.” He handed her another strawberry and smiled when she took it. “I hope you love the cake when you see it.” 

She grabbed the strawberry and held it up for Jack. “You,” she said with a smile.

Jack looked at Kent, wondering what that meant. When Kent nodded he took the strawberry. “Thank you, Mele. Happy birthday.”

Kent smiled. Over the last few months, Jack and Mele learned to get along better than they had when they first met. While Mele still preferred Kent, she did enjoy going to Jack every now and then.

The three of them sat, passing around fruit according who she wanted to share her fruit with. That was until she saw another group of people walk in. She slid off of Jack’s lap and ran toward them.

Kent leaned over and nudged Jack with his elbow. “Don’t steal my best friend, Jack,” he said in a serious voice.

“I thought I was your best friend,” Jack said.

“Second,” Kent said. “But it’s not a close second. Like… if this were a race, she’s lapped the entire field.”

Jack only smiled. “Honestly, I’m not offended,” he said. He stood up and walked over to his mom and dad when he saw them waving him over.

Kent watched Jack leave and slumped his shoulders. Well, he’d have to figure out how to be in Rimouski without Jack in a few weeks for a few weeks. He had to prove that he wasn’t dependent on Jack. He looked over when someone sat next to him. “Hey.”

“You already said that,” Sammie said.

“I did,” Kent said. He leaned back and put an arm around the back of the couch. He smiled and leaned into her. “You doing good, Sammie?”

“I’m doing well,” she teased. “And sometimes I’m doing good. Volunteering and all that.”

“Good,” Kent said with a laugh. “How goes the cheerleading?”

“You wanna show me another flip?” Sammie asked.

“I think you still owe me one,” Kent replied. 

Then Jack walked back in. Without saying anything, Sammie stood back up and sat down in the spot she first sat.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Jack said as he sat down.

Sammie shrugged. “I like my seat,” she said.

Kent smirked. He knew why. All he had to do was see that she was practically in Izzie’s lap. “What did your mom and dad want?”

“They wanted me to see the cake your mom made for Mele,” Jack said.

Kent’s eyes went wide and he shot up from his seat. “Oh. I haven’t seen it yet.” He stepped into the kitchen and saw Bob and Alicia standing around the cake. “Hi.”

“There’s two of them,” Alicia said. 

“Did she make a regular one and a mini one for Mele?”

“I think so,” she said. “Your mom’s work is amazing.”

Kent let out a soft laugh and looked over to see what she created this time. He always enjoyed hearing whenever people would say good things about his mom. “I’ll let her know her work is appreciated.”

“I can text her,” Alicia said.

Kent was going to text his mom some time today anyway. “We can both text her.”

Alicia took a few more pictures of the cakes before putting her phone away. “How are you, Kent?”

“You already asked him that, Alicia.”

“I know, Bobby. But I want to know that he’s doing okay.” She looked at Kent and smiled. “Without him giving me the polite, media answer.”

Of course Alicia knew media answers when she heard them. “I’m okay. School was tough for a little bit. And I still miss mom every now and then. But I…” He bit his bottom lip, trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

“You realize that you’re playing hockey and you’re supposed to be playing hockey?”

“Sounds about right,” Kent said with a laugh. “As much as I miss my mom, I know that I’m supposed to be here. This is an opportunity that not too many kids get you know?”

“Not many kids are as good as you are at hockey.”

Kent felt his cheeks warm to hear one of his heroes say that he was a good hockey player. “I’m doing my best.”

“I’ve seen the tapes, Kent,” Bob said. “Every time you’re on the ice, you make things happen. You and Jack are amazing on the power play.”

“The puck just always finds him,” Kent replied.

“Your passes always find him.” Bob reached over and put his hand on Kent’s shoulder, squeezing it. “Do not downplay your skills, Kent. You and Jack have something special going on.”

Kent dropped his gaze and blushed deeper. “We. We work,” he said softly. “It’s probably because we live together and are together all the damn time. It’s like carryover chemistry,” he said. 

Kent looked up in time to see Alicia lean over and nudge Bob. Now, why would she do that?

“You two could just be good together,” Bob said.

“Maybe.”

“It’ll be curious to see what you’re able to do without him.”

“I’ll do my best not to fall apart. The team.” Kent furrowed his brow. “I mean the team.” Why would he say the first thing first?

“I’m sure you’ll be okay,” Alicia said.

“Jack’s been like the one constant, you know? No one works as hard as he does.”

“Jack mentioned something about the two of you staying after practice to run some drills,” Bob said. He was not about to let Kent downplay his own skills when he has been doing a good job on his own.

“It’s nice to have the ice to ourselves. And it would be mean to make Konani drive twice to have to come get us. There have been a few times when I’ve just sat and watched Jack shoot on goal. He should have a lot more goals than he does so far in the season.”

“He still has time, Kent. it’s still early in the season.” Bob looked up when Evan called for him. “I guess I’m needed,” he said. He stood up and left Kent alone with Alicia. 

“I’m glad you and Jack are getting along now,” she said once it was only the two of them in the kitchen.

“He is a lot less intimidating when you’ve seen him make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And be really bad at bowling. And nerd out over history documentaries. He’s actually really cool.” His cheeks were warm after saying that. 

Alicia smiled at the boy. “Thank you for giving him a chance, Kent.”

“I think that I would’ve figured him out eventually.”

“I think so too.”

“And he gave me as many chances, you know?” Kent smiled at Alicia. “Thanks for giving me the push.”

“Well, I didn’t think you were going to do that when I said to not let him push you around.”

“I like to do the unexpected.” Which was a half truth. His mom usually pushed him to do the unexpected. Maybe, one day, he’d be that brave and spontaneous on his own.

Mahea appeared in the hallway with Mele in her arms. “Kent. Can you bring the cakes out to the garage? We’re singing happy birthday.”

“Sure thing, auntie.” He looked around and went to grab the boxes for the cakes so that he could take both of them. He picked up the bigger one, ready to put it into the box.

“I can take the small one, Kent,” Alicia offered when she saw what Kent was doing.

“Thank you.” If he had to juggle the boxes, there was a chance that he’d screw one or both of the cakes up. He did not want to mess them up. He picked up the larger cake while Alicia picked up the smaller one.

They walked into the garage to see everyone standing around a table waiting for the cakes. He smiled and put the big one in the middle while Alicia put the smaller cake in front of Mele.

He stood next to Jack and they started to sing Happy Birthday to the birthday girl. Then they ate cake. Delicious cake.

The day went quickly after that. 

Mele took her nap after covering herself in cake. The adults stayed in the house to talk to each other. Konani, Jack, Kent and their friends hung out in the garage. 

Then everyone left.

They ate party leftovers for dinner, before heading to bed. 

It was their last moment of peace before the most hectic month of their hockey lives. 

They had a lot to work on. The team was busy for the next few days. Half of the practices were spent preparing for their next set of games. The other half went to figuring out new lines once Jack and Krush left. 

Something was different about those days. Of course, the practices were different, but there was an added tension on the ice and in the locker room.

Most of the tension came from one person.

He noticed how Jack changed. He was on edge much more than usual. At practice, he was on everyone’s cases. It reached a tipping point when Jack went after someone after a simple mistake on the ice. Luckily, Jack waited until after practice to yell at everyone.

“Jack, you gotta back off,” Kent said at the end of the practice before their first game that week.

“We can’t play like this and expect to win. We can’t keep losing,” Jack said.

“We aren’t. We’ve been doing fine,” Kent said.

“Fine is not enough!” Jack yelled.

Kent’s eyes went wide and he took a step back. He looked at the rest of their teammates who were staring at them. “Okay. Outside. Now,” he said. He grabbed Jack by his arm and pulled him along until they were in the hallway just outside the locker room. “You wanna tell me what the hell is your problem?”

“Stop.”

“No. Tell me what is going on,” he said. “Where the hell is all this coming from?”

“It’s been there.”

“Bullshit,” Kent said. He crossed his arms over his chest. “You weren’t like this until…”

“Don’t,” Jack said. He didn’t want Kent to figure it out.

Kent blinked a few times. “Is this about your dad?”

“We’re not talking about this,” he said.

Kent sighed softly. “Look. I don’t…” He stared at his friend. He knew that Jack always put so much pressure on himself. “I can’t really tell you no pressure, huh?”

“No,” he said. “You can’t. I’ve… it’s always been like this.”

Kent couldn’t begin to imagine what is was like to be the son of a hockey legend. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.

Jack shook his head. “We just have to do better,” he said.

“We’ll get there.”

“You don’t know that,” Jack said.

“The team has you. And sometimes me. We’ll be okay.”

“And then when the team doesn’t have me?”

“I’ll sell my soul to keep the team afloat,” Kent said. He meant it too. If the team did well while Jack was gone, then he’d be in a good mood when he came back. “The team still has me and the rest of us. We’ll do what we can while you’re gone.”

“It might not be enough,” Jack said, leaning against the wall. 

Kent shrugged. “It might not be,” he said. “But. You can’t win every game, you know?”

“But I want to win more games than we lose. Is that so much to ask?”

“No, of course not,” Kent said. “But you gotta give us time, man. You’re scaring the team. We get it. You want to win. But we’re already working through so much, you know? With injuries. And you leaving. Adding this won’t be good.”

“How are you so calm about this?”

“I’m freaking out on the inside,” he said. “I want to win. I do. But I also know that freaking out doesn’t help anyone.” Kent moved to lean against the wall next to Jack. “I’m not gonna tell you to stop being you. But I just want you to make sure you’re not making everyone into you? If that makes sense.”

“Sort of.”

“There’s only one Jack Zimmermann,” Kent said. “Honestly, that’s all we really need.”

“Thanks, Kent.”

“You’re welcome. Now. I’m gonna go in there and tell everyone that they need to pick it up, but I’m gonna be nicer than you about it. Then we’ll head home.” He turned and headed back into the locker room. He looked at his teammates.

“So, what crawled up his ass and died?” Norms asked. “And did you get it out?”

Kent rolled his eyes. “Look. I’m not gonna apologize for Jack. You know how competitive he is,” he said once he had everyone's attention. “He wants to make sure he leaves us on a winning streak. You can’t blame him for that. So, tomorrow, we kick ass. Got it?”

Cookie smiled and leaned over to nudge Degs. “He’s so cute when he’s trying to be all tough.”

“Very leaderly though,” Degs replied. “I’m gonna start a slow clap.”

“Do not do that,” Kent said, rolling his eyes. He grabbed his things then went to shower. He stepped out as Jack stepped in. 

Then they were in the car with Jack’s parents as they went to dinner. Then back to the DeChambeaus for the night.

They had three home games in a few days, and they needed to win all of them so they could have a bit of a cushion for their roadie. Without Jack. And Krush.

He hated thinking about that.

The first two games were easy wins, which everyone was grateful for. 

Their third game was the toughest of the three.

If their teammates didn’t know the importance of it, they knew from the way Jack acted at practice.

“Isn’t Keats on the Screaming Eagles?” Kent asked, sitting on the edge of Jack's bed the night before the game.

“They’re in fourth place in the league,” Jack said.

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“He is,” Jack said. “Second line. Twelve goals. Eight assists. He’s—”

“Do you know this about every player?” Kent asked, surprised. 

“Just my friends. And those at the top of the league,” Jack said. 

“So, what are our chances tomorrow?”

“It’s better for us if Forrest is in net tomorrow.” Jack looked at Kent. “He won’t be able to stop your shot.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Jack said with a laugh. “He’s good. Needs another year or two in the Q if he wants to make it in the NHL. You’re too quick for him.”

“And you?”

“I just shoot and hope that it goes in,” Jack said with a smile.

Kent rolled his eyes. “Because that’s how you play, right? Just shoot and hope it goes in. No skill at all.”

“The skill is making it look like it took no skill at all.”

Kent stared at Jack with a confused look on his face. “Are… what?”

Jack laughed and tossed a pillow at Kent. “Think about it. And go get some sleep. Big game tomorrow.”

Kent held onto the pillow and smiled. “I’m not gonna think about it, because I’m pretty sure it’ll hurt my brain. But, I am keeping this,” he said, hugging Jack’s pillow to his chest.

“Hey,” Jack said, lunging forward and grabbing a corner of his pillow.

“Jack!” Kent said, trying to roll away. “Holy shit,” he said when Jack yanked the pillow, causing him to flop on top of Jack. He scrambled off of him quickly. “When the hell did you get so strong?”

“I’ve always been that strong.”

“Over a pillow,” he said, scooting off of Jack’s bed.

“It’s a good pillow.”

Kent rolled his eyes. “It better give you the best sleep of your life tonight since you almost killed me to get it.”

“Stop being overdramatic. And go. You need to get some sleep.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“So, does that mean you aren’t going to sleep?”

“I’m not going to respond to that,” Kent said. “Night, Jack,” he said before heading to his room.

He sent his mom his usual good night text, then fell asleep a few minutes later.

The next morning, Jack and Kent went through their usual pregame routines. The DeChambeaus knew how important they were and usually stayed out of the way. 

The only change was that the Zimmermanns were the ones to bring the two of them to the arena instead of Konani. 

They changed into uniforms, then walked out to the ice to start their warm-ups. As usual, half of the team sat at center ice to stretch. Kent looked over and watched Keats sit down on the other side of the line.

“I know you,” Keats said.

Kent had to laugh. “We’re not supposed to be talking. We’re enemies right now.”

“I can know my enemy. Aw, come on. Talk to me,” Keats said. “I wanna catch up.”

“We can do that post game.”

“I mean, we could,” Keats said. But he wasn’t going to wait that long. “So, our team has been doing well. We’re on a three game win streak,” he said. “The team’s really excited to play you guys. Mostly Jack. Then again, the entire league is excited to play Jack. I—”

“Keats, oh my god, shut up,” Kent said, reaching over the line to push him. 

Unfortunately, Keats was just far enough that he almost tipped over trying. “Aw, arms too short? So tiny.”

“I hate you.”

“Talk to me and I’ll scoot closer.”

“I’d rather you not.” Kent shifted so that he could change his stretch along with the rest of his teammates. 

Keats moved to mirror their stretches. “What the hell are you doing on the second line?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Excuse me, tiny one. The entire Screaming Eagles team is amazing. Any line is a good line.”

“So, wait. Was that supposed to be a compliment for me?”

“Yeah,” Keats said. There was an unspoken ‘duh’ in there somewhere.

“What kind of team name is the Screaming Eagles?” Kent asked. “Eagles really don’t scream. And why eagles? Why are they important to Canada?”

“You know what, New York? What kind of name is Oceanic?”

“You know what, Keats?”

“What, Parse?”

“Don’t make me call my shots again.”

“I would love if you called your shot, right now.”

Kent laughed, remembering how fun it was to play with him the first time he played on the ice in Canada. He made one last move, finishing up their stretching routine. “Who’s in goal?”

“We don’t have a Who on our team.”

“What?”

“What’s on second?”

Kent glared at Keats. “Do not. I swear, Keats.”

“Keats is on third.”

“That’s not even how it goes! Who talks like that?”

“We don’t have a who!”

“Oh my god. I hate you. Scoot closer so I can push you,” Kent said.

“You’re so cute, Parse. By the way, it’s Tucker.”

“Tucker.”

“Good luck scoring on him.”

“Parse, let’s go,” Cookie said, standing up so that they could start the second part of their warmups.

Kent stood up and winked at Keats before skating off with his team to finish their warm ups. He looked up as Jack skated toward him. “Yeah?”

“You need to take this game more seriously.”

Kent tensed. He knew how his conversation with Keats had to have looked. “Yeah,” he said, embarrassed. “Got it. Game face on.”

Minutes later, the game began.

As hard as they played, they lost in overtime, 4-5. It was a good game for the team, but the result was not what they wanted. They wanted to head on the road with a win streak. They wanted to leave one more game over .500. 

Kent wanted Jack to be in a good mood in the locker room before they went home. 

 But, they lost.

He finished his shower and was trying to find the Zimmermanns when he was intercepted by Keats.

“Good game,” Keats said, fixing his hat.

“I don’t want to hear it, Keats,” Kent said. He wasn’t in the mood to listen to Keats gloat.

“What? Two power play assists is a good thing.”

Kent heard the locker room door open and he looked back to see Jack walking toward them.

“It was nice to see you, man,” Keats said.

“What do you want, Keats?”

“It was a good game, Jack. You took us to OT. You know how often that happens?”

“No.”

Kent raised his eyebrow. He was pretty sure Jack new exactly how often that happened. But he was in a mood. “Well, we gotta head out. Jack’s got places to be in a few days.”

“Right. Okay. So,” Keats said. “Teddy Bare is throwing a party. You and your team are invited. You can even call your billet bro.”

“I don’t know,” Jack said.

Kent figured Jack wouldn’t want to go out, especially after a close loss.

“Come on. Come hang out for an hour. You don’t even have to drink. Just hang out. I wanna catch up. You don’t write. You don’t call,” Keats said, looking at Jack. 

Jack sighed. He looked over at Kent. “It’s up to you.”

“One hour?”

“No fights,” Jack said.

“I don't fight,” Kent said. After a moment, Jack nodded. “We’ll ask Konani if he wants to drive. We’re gonna eat with the fam first. Text me the address.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Keats took Kent’s phone and entered his number in, then called it. He handed it back to Kent.

Kent looked at the phone and frowned. “Gabriel Keaton? That’s your name.”

“Apparently. Okay. We’ll see you there.”

They found Jack’s parents and got into the car. They headed to the DeChambeaus for dinner instead of going out. The conversations in the car were sparse. When they did happen, Jack and Bob spoke to each other in French the entire time.

Kent figured these were the conversations Jack had after games with his dad. This time it was in person instead of over the phone. Kent didn’t understand why Jack looked so sad and upset when Bob sounded so reassuring the entire conversation.

They got out of the car and Kent grabbed his bag. He was at Jack’s side as they walked toward the front door. “We don’t have to go. I know you’re not really into it,” he said.

“It’s okay, Kent. It’ll be nice to… distract myself.”

“This loss isn’t on you, Jack. You did everything you could.”

“Wasn’t enough.”

“Team sport,” he said. 

They entered the house, ready to eat. After dinner, Jack told his parents and Konani about the party and Konani agreed to go. He knew Barrett from high school and was excited to see him.

They changed and arrived at Barrett’s house half an hour later. They saw members of both of their teams already hanging out inside. It was nice. Both teams weren’t traveling tomorrow, so it gave them a good night to just relax.

“You made it,” Keats said, walking up with a cup in his hand. “Come on, let’s get you guys a drink.”

“I’m not drinking,” Jack immediately said.

“Parse?”

“We’ll see how the night goes.”

“Tall, handsome dude?” Keats asked.

“I’ll head to the kitchen,” Konani said with a laugh.

“Teddy Bare is in there catching up with his friends.”

“Teddy Bare?” Kent said. He wanted to ask about it when Keats mentioned it at the arena, but he didn’t have time. He could now that he did.

“Theodore Barrett. Third line center,” Keats said.

Kent stared at Keats. “I cannot believe,” he said with a laugh. That name was too good for a hockey nickname.

“Right? It’s kinda perfect. I tell him that all the time. Come on. We’re chillin in the living room.” Keats led the way through the crowd. “How did you get Jack to come hang out?” he asked, throwing his arm around Kent.

“I told him to do something fun since he wasn’t going to be around me for two weeks.” 

“I thought he’d try to get away from you sooner. He could be celebrating getting rid of you for a bit.”

“Rude,” Kent said, trying to get out of Keats’ grasp, but Keats just held him tighter. 

“He’s not that bad, actually,” Jack said, walking on the other side of Kent.

“Jack? Did you replace me?”

“Yes,” Jack said nonchalantly. “I have another blonde who is nicer and a better hockey player than you are.”

Keats stared at his friend. Jack made a joke. He had to smile. “I would be offended if it weren’t completely true.” He turned is attention to Kent. “He’s all yours now. Feed him at least three times a day. Water him. Make sure he get 8 hours of sleep. Read him a bedtime story.”

“Don’t do that,” Jack said at the same time Kent said, “I’m not gonna do that.”

“You two practiced that, huh?”

“No,” Jack and Kent said. They laughed after making eye contact.

“You two are on some wavelength. Maybe it’s a good thing that your coach keeps you on different lines.”

“Good for you,” Kent replied.

“Not gonna deny that. You two killed us on the power play. Every fucking time. Like, what the hell?” Jack took a seat on the couch, and Keats took the last available spot on it, squeezing between him and the armrest. He looked up and saw Kent stepping away from them. “Where are you going?”

“Gonna go find a chair.” He gestured to the couch and showed that the three of them wouldn’t be able to fit.

“Dude, shut up. No. Come here.” Keats reached over and grabbed Kent’s hand. He tugged him over and into his lap.

“Keats!” He looked around and saw that the only one paying any attention to them was Jack.

“It’s fine, dude. It’s like holding a really tiny thing in my lap.” He moved to wrap his arm around Kent, resting it on the armrest. He looked at his teammate wandering around the house. “Teddy Bare. Can you get my friends a drink?”

“Get him one yourself,” Teddy said.

“I can’t. My friend is sitting in my lap.”

Teddy frowned at his teammate. “You're lucky I’m a good host.” He held out a cup to the three of them. “Here,” he said. “I didn’t drink out of it yet. Just poured it. Jungle juice.”

The three of them looked at each other to determine who was going to take it. To everyone’s surprise, Jack reached for it and took a sip.

“Huh,” Keats said. He then watched Teddy head back into the kitchen. “Okay, but, seriously. I thought you guys had us this game. Why the hell didn’t your coach put both of you on the ice in overtime?”

“Probably didn’t want to risk an injury?” Kent said with a shrug.

“Points are points, man,” Keats said.

“We still came away with one,” Jack replied. It was a good way to look at the loss.

“Should've been two,” Keats said.

“We’ll get you next time,” Jack replied.

Kent hoped that they’d follow through with that one. He looked up, expecting Teddy Bare to come back at any moment with their drinks. He watched as Jack kept sipping from his cup. Maybe he really, really wanted to forget what happened. “How strong is it?” he asked.

“Not strong enough.”

And that was not the answer that Kent expected.

Keats tapped Kent’s thigh. “Come on. I’m thirsty,” he said. “Teddy Bare probably got lost.”

“This is his house.” Still, Kent stood up. “You coming, Jack?” he asked as Keats stood up next to him.

“I’m good,” Jack said.

“Come on, tiny one,” Keats said. He threw his arm around Kent and led him into the kitchen. They saw Teddy talking to Konani and another one of their teammates from Rimouski. “Worst host ever,” Keats said.

“I was coming back,” Teddy replied.

“Useless,” Keats said. He then went to fill up his cup and one for Kent. They moved to a corner where they could talk in private. He held a cup out to Kent. “So, you and Jack, huh?” he asked.

Kent took the cup and a sip. “Me and Jack what?” he asked.

“Are teammates?” Keats said, raising his eyebrow. “What? Is there another way to answer that question? Are you something else?”

“No,” Kent said quickly. He took another sip and sighed. “We’re not anything else.” Did he want to be?

“Yeah. I saw.” Keats took a long sip of his own drink. “You guys aren’t even on the same line. What the hell is that?”

Kent could only shrug. “I’m not good enough to be on the first line.”

“You don’t believe that.”

“Everyone on the team can play, Keats. Jack just has better chemistry with the people on his line.”

Keats let out a laugh. “Sure.”

“What?” Kent said with a sigh, moving to stand next to him. 

“Your team is kinda stupid.”

“Why?”

“Maybe not your team, but your coaches.”

“Again. Why?”

“Because he’s keeping you and Jack on different lines. Like… has he seen you two play together? He has to have seen it.” 

“A few times.”

“And what?”

Kent didn’t know what else to add. “You gotta trust the coaches, Keats.” 

“Do you?”

“They know things I don’t.” The coaches knew how Kent and Jack played together. That’s why they put them on the power play. “They’ve been doing this for years. They’re doing what they can so we can win the cup. Long game.” Maybe him and Jack would play on the same line sometime before the end of the season. 

“Good luck making it past us.”

“Don’t need luck,” Kent said. He looked at his watch and realized they had abandoned Jack. “We should get back.” Ever since their first party, he wasn’t comfortable leaving Jack alone. Especially when they didn’t know most of the people there.

But the people knew Jack. And that couldn’t end well.

“Interesting,” Keats said.

“What?” 

“I’m not gonna say codependent.”

“We’re not.”

“I didn’t say that.” Keats led the way back toward the living room. “But there was something about fighting?”

Kent blushed. “That story’s for another day.”

He stepped into the living room and Kent looked over to the couch. Jack wasn’t there. He frowned. “Where’s Jack?” 

Keats stood next to Kent with their cups in his hands. “I… I have no idea? I was with you.”

Kent looked over and of the people they were sitting with point toward the door. He also saw that there was an extra cup for the amount of people that were there. It was empty. “Shit. I’ll… find him.” He immediately headed outside. He found Jack standing on the sidewalk. “You okay?”

Jack didn’t even turn to look at Kent. “Go back inside. I’m heading home.”

“If you’re heading home, I’ll head home with you. Let me go get Konani.”

“No,” Jack said. "Go back inside. My mom and dad are coming to get me.”

“Jack,” Kent said. “Konani is right inside. Your parents don’t have to drive all the way out here.” 

“I just want to go home with my parents,” Jack said softly. “I have things to do.”

Kent frowned. There was something about the way Jack said those things that made Kent wonder. “Did one of those guys say something to you?”

Jack dragged his hand down his face. “Just go back inside. Hang out with Keats. Go home with Konani,” Jack said in the most angry sounding voice he could without yelling.

Kent stared at Jack with eyes wide. “Oh,” he said softly. He didn’t want to fight. Not right now. “Okay.” He slid his hands into his pockets. He turned to head back into the house. He took a few steps before he looked back. “Look, whatever happened. I’ll fix it. Just tell me which guys I’m yelling at.”

“You,” Jack started, then stopped himself. “It is not your job to fix everything, Kent,” he growled. 

“Yeah. I guess not,” Kent said. He then walked back into the house to look for Konani. He found him in the backyard. “Jack’s outside, take him home if you’re okay to drive?”

Konani stood up. “You coming with?” he asked.

“Yeah, let me go say bye to Keats and we’ll head out.”

Konani jogged out of the house while Kent went to find to Keats.

“What’s going on?” Keats asked. “Jack doing okay?” He held Kent’s cup out to him.

“I think so,” Kent said. “I hope so.” He gulped down his drink before setting the cup down. “I think we’re actually heading home. Just. Long night, you know? And losing always takes a lot out of us.” 

“You’re not gonna keep losing,” Keats said. “Your team is good enough that it’ll start winning as soon as Jack gets back from Russia.”

“He’s not going to Russia, Keats.”

“Same thing. But, I know Jack gets like this sometimes. He just…” He sighed and sipped at his beer. “Feels like he needs to.”

“I can tell.” 

“Don’t let him take it out on you, you know?”

“He ever act like this with you?”

“Sort of? We were still young. He mostly got broody and grumpy. It’s easier to interact with him when you’re winning, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“But damn if not every team wants a player like that, you know? I swear, I played my best hockey when I was with him.”

“You were twelve.”

“You saying I peaked early, Parse?”

“I’m not gonna answer that,” Kent said with a smile. He looked at Keats who smiled back at him. He was about to say something else when he saw Konani walk back in.

“Kent, we gotta go,” he yelled above the music.

Kent looked at Keats and nudged him with his elbow. “Thanks for the invite, man,” he said. “I’ll see you in a few weeks. We got your number.”

“Yeah you do.”

“You know what I mean, Keats,” Kent said. “I’ll see you around.” He met Konani at his car ad saw that Jack wasn’t there. “Where’s Jack?”

“His mom and dad got him,” Konani said. “What the hell happened in there? Did someone say something to him again?”

“I… I don’t know,” Kent replied. He furrowed his brow. “I mean. I was only away from him for like… five minutes? And he didn’t seem like he was talking to anyone. But, he was being so weird when we were outside.”

“Weird how?”

“I don’t know,” Kent said. “But… did I do something?” Thinking back, he wondered if he had done something wrong. “I’ll talk to him when we get home, or something.”

Kent and Konani got into the car and drove home without saying anything to each other. Kent ran upstairs as soon as he stepped into the house. He saw that the light in Jack’s room wasn’t on. He tapped on in. “Jack?” he whispered.

He waited a minute, but there was no answer. He reached for the knob and jostled it, figuring it’d be locked. But, it wasn’t. He slowly opened the door. “Jack?”

He turned on the light and sucked in a breath when he saw the bed and room were empty. He quickly turned it off and walked into his own room. 

Jack wasn’t there. 

Why wasn’t Jack there? He was supposed to be there for two more days before the Zimmermanns left. 

What the hell happened at that party?

Kent pulled his phone out and scrolled to Jack’s number. He was about to call him, but he saw how late it was.

He sat on the edge of his bed and sighed.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (11:02 PM): Hey, not sure what happened earlier, but I hope you’re okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, or something, okay?

He sighed and stared at his phone, waiting for something. He wasn’t sure he’d get anything considering how upset Jack was when he saw him waiting outside.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (11:05 PM): I know you said that it’s not my job to fix things, but we have each other’s backs, don’t we? If someone did or said something, I’m not gonna let them get away with it.  
(11:05 PM) Even if we never see those jerks again, I don’t like seeing you upset. So, let me fix this. Whatever it is.  
(11:06 PM) You and me, you know?

Kent waited forty minutes before finally falling asleep.

The next day, he woke up and found out that Jack had come early in the morning to grab his things.

He looked at his phone and saw no texts. 

He wasn’t expecting one, either. 


	10. Chapter 10

The next time Kent saw Jack he was on TV. 

After their first game, which they won, ten of them piled into his and Norms’ room to watch the coverage of the Q team at practice. They saw Jack skating around with the team. There didn’t seem to be much conversing between him and the other teammates.

Jack had the same look on his face that he usually did before big games. It was his focused face. Even if this was considered an exhibition game, Jack did not want to lose.

Kent wondered if those teammates were treating Jack well. Jack hadn’t answered any of his texts to tell him.

After the team returned from their short road trip they headed back home for a three game home stand. Then they were on the road again for three more games. 

Then Jack would be home.

Back.

Jack would be back in a week and a half.

The morning after Kent returned, he woke to the sound of little hands slapping his door. Again.

It was becoming his alarm clock.

“Keeeeeeeeennnnnnn!”

“Meleeeeeeeeeee,” Kent yelled back. He laughed and put on basketball shorts before getting out of bed to open the door. He bent down, ready to pick her up as usual, but she was already being carried. His eyes went wide when he saw who was holding her. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, baby,” Lydia said with a smile. “Surprise!”

“You…” he said. His eyes began to water. This wasn’t real. It had to be a dream. “You said you had a big thing this weekend.”

“Yes. Me being here. Big weekend.”

Kent blinked, letting the tears fall. “I thought it meant you catering a celebrity, like it usually did.”

Lydia smiled softly, reaching out to cup her son’s cheek. “Baby.”

Kent immediately stepped forward and hugged his mom as tight as he could while she was holding Mele. He could feel her in his arms. He could smell the perfume she always wore. “Mom,” he said softly. “You’re really here.” 

“Hey, baby,” Lydia said again, this time through a tightened throat. She tiptoed to kiss his forehead.

“Ken,” Mele said with a smile. She leaned over and kissed Kent’s cheek. She patted the spot she had just kissed when she pulled back.

“I got you, baby girl,” Kent said, taking Mele out of his mom’s arms. He walked to Konani’s door and opened it, smirking when he saw him still sleeping. “Go bother your brother,” he whispered. He put her down and shut the door behind her when he saw her run to the bed.

He went to hug his mom again. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” he said softly. “I would’ve came and got you with whoever came and got you.”

“You just got back from a roadie last night, baby. You needed your sleep.” She reached up and brushed his cowlick back. “Go wash up. Late breakfast today.”

“Yeah. Breakfast.” Kent wiped his cheeks and smiled. He couldn’t believe his mom was there. He gave her one more quick hug before letting go. He ran to the bathroom and washed his face to wake himself up to make sure this was real.

He headed downstairs to find his mom sitting and drinking coffee with Mahea and Evan. He couldn’t stop smiling as he sat down at the table with them. This was the best surprise and he couldn’t believe his mom pulled it off. “Did you bring treats?”

“Is that the only reason you are happy to see me?” Lydia asked.

“Mom. I’m still waking up,” Kent said. “Seriously, you could’ve warned me.” He wanted to hug her again, but stopped. “But, I’m so stoked you’re here. You deserve a short vacation after twenty years.”

Lydia let out a laugh. “Thank you, baby.” She gestured to the boxes on the island. “I made some green tea and orange rolls. And a few of your other favorites.”

“Yes,” Kent said. He stood up and went to look through a few of the boxes with the signature Sebastian’s logo. He grabbed a few plates and picked up a box of mostly breakfast things. He walked them over to the dining table for everyone.

He picked up a morning bun and smiled after he took a bite. “Green tea.” It was so good. His mom sent him treats at least twice a month, but there was something about eating breakfast with his mom close enough to hug. It helped him feel relaxed in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

He looked up when Konani walked in holding his little sister. He rubbed his eye with his free hand, then tried to fix his hair. “Someone put a baby in my room,” he mumbled.

Kent raised his hand. “She wanted to see you,” he said.

Konani put Mele down and watched her run over to their mom. He looked over and saw the newcomer. “Miss Parson,” he said. “You made it. Your flight went okay?” He smiled when he saw her nod. He looked down and saw that he was only wearing boxers. “I should’ve put on more clothes,” he said.

“You knew my mom was coming and you didn’t tell me?”

“It was a surprise.” Konani let out a yawn. “I’m gonna go put more clothes on.” He headed out of the kitchen and back to his room. 

“Did everyone in this house know that you were coming except me?” Kent asked his mom.

“Yes,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. She broke off a piece of Kent’s pastry and popped it into her mouth. “So, I know you have practice today, but I’d love to see this place,” she said. “Unless you have other plans?”

“What other plans could I have?” Kent said. His mom was here, so that was priority. “Do you have plans?”

“I have a rental car.”

“That doesn’t really answer my question, mom.” He smiled when his mom handed her her coffee. He took a sip.

“We could drive around? Then I could take you to practice?”

“Yes,” Kent said. “Of course. That… yes.” He wanted nothing more than to be able to ride around with his mom. While he only knew so much about the area, he was sure they could find a thing or two that was interesting to see. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her. Especially since he didn’t know how long she’d be staying.

He smiled when he figured out where they were going to go. He wanted to take to the little square where he had that date with Sammie.

And where he realized that his life was complicated.

“Do you want to leave soon?” he asked her.

“Finish your breakfast, then we’ll head out,” Lydia said. 

Kent offered his mom her coffee, but she shook her head. He finished it, and the pastry before heading upstairs to change. He put on a warm pair of pants, a jacket, and a hat with the Rimouski logo on it before heading back downstairs. “Ready?” he asked.

“Do you have clothes for practice?” she asked. “I don’t know if we’ll make it back here in time for you to grab your things.”

Kent ran back upstairs to grab some clothes. When he stepped out of his room, he saw Konani dressed in shorts and a shirt. “Mom brought treats. Don’t eat everything.”

“Morning to you too, Kent,” he said. “But I won’t. That’s mean. Besides, your mom is way too cool. What happened to you?”

Kent rolled his eyes. “I’d push you down the stairs, but mom would be disappointed at me for doing that. I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Have fun.”

Kent ran downstairs and into the mudroom where he kept his bag. He put his clothes into it and zipped it up. He put it over his shoulder and watched her mom put on her boots before they headed out in her rental car.

Kent plugged in his iPod and played a mom appropriate playlist as they drove around. “So, how are you gonna make this up to me?”

“Make what up to you?”

“You lied to me,” Kent said, even if he didn’t mean it. 

“You didn’t ask if I was coming up. If you asked, I would’ve said yes.”

Kent rolled his eyes. “Lies of omission.”

“I like to think it was a good surprise, baby,” Lydia said.

“It was,” he said. After everything that had been going on the last few days, his mom being there made everything better. “It feels… I feel like I needed this to recharge.”

“Well, you’ll be home in a few weeks. I think that’s a good place to recharge.”

“I think so,” Kent said. “But it’s just… as long as you’re here, mom. That’s enough.”

Kent was having a bit of a tough time since Jack left. While he had other friends on the team, none of them lived with him. At least if Jack was ignoring him, he would still see him at home. Now, all he had were unanswered texts and a few clips of him practicing and representing the Q.

He didn’t want to think about that, right now. He was sitting in a car with his mom. He was supposed to be happy. 

They drove for about fifteen minutes without saying anything to each other. His mom could tell Kent had a lot going on in his head and used her superpower to read his mind.

“How is Jack doing?” she asked.

Or maybe he was too obvious about things.

“I don’t know,” Kent replied. Because he didn’t. “I haven’t spoken to him since he left,”

“I see.”

Kent was sure that he had told his mom about his lack of contact with Jack a few days ago. Maybe not in so many words. If he looked through his texts, he probably would’ve seen that all he said was Jack left. And nothing else.

What else was there to say?

“He’s busy though,” Kent said like he had to defend Jack. “You know. Learning new plays. Familiarizing himself with his new teammates.”

Lydia knew what Kent was doing. “Did something happen?” she asked, looking over at him when they were at a stop light.

“I…” Yes. “I don't know. We were at a party. And then, he was alone for a few minutes. And then when I came back, he was angry.”

“No fights?”

Kent blushed. He knew that question was going to come up after what happened at the last party he went to. “No, mom,” he said. “It would’ve been louder if there was a fight.”

“Okay,” Lydia said, figuring that the conversation was over.

“But,” he said softly.

“What baby?”

“Turn left here,” he said before he continued. “I thought we had this understanding that we… we wouldn’t stop talking to each other. I did it, and it… it kinda messed us up, you know?” He told his mom about that incident too after Jack confronted him about it. Sort of. He left out some important details.

“Well, why did you do it?” she asked.

“Reasons,” he said. 

“Kent,” she said.

“I…” While he could usually tell his mom everything, there were some things that he couldn’t tell her. Not yet. Besides, his reason for ignoring Jack was definitely not the reason why Jack was ignoring him. “I don’t think I want to talk about this. Not right now.”

“Okay, baby,” Lydia said, turning the car at the light when Kent pointed. “It’s okay. We don't have to talk about it.”

“Just,” Kent started with a sigh. He didn’t want to talk about Jack while he was with his mom. He knew his mom would be able to read his expressions and know that there were some things he was keeping from her. He hated keeping things from her. “He’s my best friend. I… miss him.”

“Have you tried calling him?”

“Texts. But that's it.” He’d sent at least a dozen texts; each one of them ignored and unanswered. Kent knew sending any more would be a waste of time. If Jack wasn’t answering his texts, there was no way he’d answer a phone call. 

“It’ll be fine, baby. I promise.”

Kent desperately wanted to believe that.

They pulled up to the square and Kent noticed that it looked a little different from when he was there a month ago. It was decorated with a holiday theme. And there was holiday music playing. There weren’t many people outside because of the cold, but all the shops were still opened. His mom was excited to look at all of them. 

They walked around and Kent told his mom about how this place reminded him of where her shop was. She agreed, and also made the same Gilmore Girls comment he had made to Sammie. 

In that moment, he realized just how much he missed his mom. She was the one person that he could always talk to and she would never judge him for anything. But, so much had happened since he’d left New York and there were only so many hours in a day. Where would he even start if he wanted to tell her everything?

He had no idea.

They walked around the square and stopped in a restaurant for some food and to warm up. They took their time eating and then were on their way to Kent’s practice. They arrived a little early and saw they were the only car in the parking lot.

They sat in silence and waited for someone to open up the rink.

Kent didn’t know what to do. His mom was right there. And they were at the rink together. And the rink reminded him of Jack. And Jack wasn’t talking to him. 

Kent felt uneasy. He sat there knowing he could easily break the silence by blurting out what was bothering him. All he needed was a little prompting.  

He would be forever grateful for his mom’s superpower.

“Baby,” she said softly. 

“Mom. It’s just. A lot.”

Lydia unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to look at her son. “How about this? One minute.”

“What?”

“I’ve been doing this with Cadence. At work, when she’s stressed, I give her one minute to scream or rant or freak out with no consequence. Sometimes it lasts a little longer than that, but it helps get her focused.” She looked over at her son and brushed his hair out of his face. “You need a haircut,” she said offhandedly. “So. You get one minute to just blurt it all out and be honest without me having to bring it back up after the minute is over. Unless you want to talk about it later.”

Kent thought about it for a second before he realized he wanted to try it. He didn’t want this looming between them for her entire trip. “I’m always honest with you, mom,” he said.

“I know that, baby. But there are some things I know you don’t think you can talk to me about. Which is okay.”

“I don’t think I’d be able to talk to dad about it either.”

Lydia smiled. “Okay.”

Kent stared out of the car and saw a two of his coaches pull up. He’d have to leave soon. “One minute?”

“One minute to be real.”

Kent let out the longest exhale of his life. He then looked over at his mom. “I just. Miss him. Like. For these last four months, he’s been like…” He didn’t know how to finish the sentence without giving too much away. “Constant. And now he’s cut off contact. Which probably is because he’s busy.” He sighed softly. “I don’t know. This is like… the longest that we’ve gone without talking. And even when I was avoiding him, he was still here.”

“I didn’t know it was that bad last time.”

Kent wasn’t proud of it. Especially since he knew how much it messed with their relationship. “It’s not really something I was ready to talk about then.”

“And now.”

“Maybe by the time you leave I’ll be able to tell you things.”

“That’s fine, baby.”

Kent had to love his mom even more for never pushing him before he was ready. “So. Is my minute over?”

“The minute lasts as long as you want it to.”

“That isn’t how time works, mom,” Kent said fondly rolling his eyes. “How much will this cost me?”

“This session costs one hug.”

Kent leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. “Thanks, mom,” he whispered into her hair.

“Of course. But. If it makes you feel any better, I think that you two will be fine. I’m sure he misses you as much as you miss him.”

“I don’t know about that. He’s still so damn hard to read sometimes.” Even after all these months, sometimes he had no idea what Jack was thinking. “We’re like… mostly good? But then, sometimes he’ll just disappear. I don’t know.”

Lydia made a face at Kent’s word choice. That was something she’d have to check in on later. “You two haven’t known each other that long, baby. It’ll all make sense eventually.”

Kent always felt better whenever his mom would say encouraging things like that.

He told her the time practice finished and she said that she’d be there to pick him up. He got out and headed to the locker room to get dressed. Then he was out on the ice with the rest of the team.

He looked up and listened as the coaches started to put together lineups to try out for the span of home games. He was joking around with Mega when Norms tapped his stick against the side of his foot to get him to pay attention.

“Parse. Thank you for listening,” Coach Gallagher said. “Jump on the line with Cookie and Degs.”

“Parse on the right. Degs, Center. Cookie, left,” Coach Brassard added.

“Coach?” Kent asked.

“Just trying things out. Go.”

Kent jumped into position with Degs and Cookie and watched as their coach put two d-men on the ice. He smirked. He could do this. They ran the plays their coaches called out and, for the most part, they ran smoothly.

They moved players around every practice up until their first game. 

Kent had little hope that he’d be on the first line. He noticed he spent more time on every other line besides the first during practice. Still. He didn’t care. He just wanted to play and he wanted his mom to see him play.

He sat in the passenger’s seat with his mom and laughed as she handed him his bag of yellow Starbursts. 

“Go kick some ass today, baby,” Lydia said, opening up a pink Starburst and eating it.

“I’ll do my best,” Kent said, opening the door. He quickly shut it when he thought of something. “Oh, wait.”

“What’s up?” Lydia asked. “Did you forget something?” She looked at at her watch as saw that they had enough time to drive back to the DeChambeaus if they needed to.

Kent reached for his chain around his neck and pulled it out from under his shirt. He took it off and handed it to his mom. “Can you hold onto this for me, please?” he asked. “I usually put it in my bag, but it’s…” The safest place besides on him was with his mom. “You should wear it.”

“Of course, baby,” Lydia said as she put the chain on.

Kent smiled as she held the medal and dogtags in her hand. “I’ll wave to you.” He always said that to her whenever she came to his games and he always waved to her whenever he found her in the stands.

“I’ll wave back,” she replied after years of practice. “Go. You have your pregame to finish.”

Kent grabbed his bag and jogged into the arena. He was going to be in a good mood regardless of the line he was on. His mom was there to see him play.

He finished his pregame in time for the coaches to come in and announce the lineups. 

“Okay, first line,” Coach Gallagher said. “Amos. Norman. Parson.”

Kent’s eyes went wide. Usually, he’d look at Jack for confirmation of what he heard, but Jack wasn’t there. Instead, he looked at Mega who was was lightly tapping his stick against the floor. “Dude, congrats,” he said once the coaches finished announcing the rest of lineups.

Cookie walked over to him and clapped his hand on his shoulder. He squeezed it reassuringly. “You deserve it, bro,” he said. “Now, let’s get out there and kick some ass.” He smiled as he led the way out of the locker room to start warm ups. 

He skated out onto the ice and found his mom sitting with the DeChambeaus. Like he said he would, he waved at her. And she waved back.

Once the first whistle blew the game went by with Kent in a daze. 

Kent was still in a daze when he stepped off the ice, into the locker room, into a shower, and out toward the parking lot. He found his mom waiting at the entrance of the rink. 

Lydia let out a squeal as she ran to him and threw her arms around him to give him a hug. “You’re on the first line,” she said proudly.

That was enough to make it real for Kent. “I… I am.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She reached up and fixed Kent’s hat. “Were you just keeping this a secret to surprise me?”

“It… it just happened today. I mean, I practiced on the first line a few times. But I thought it was just… coach keeping options open.” He didn’t think that him playing on the first line during a game was going to be a real option until next season.

“You okay, baby?” She took Kent’s hat off to try and tame his cowlick before replacing the hat.

“I’m on the first line,” he said softly. “I made the first line.” Then his eyes went wide. “Holy shit.”

“Baby,” Lydia said with a laugh. She grabbed onto the straps of his bag and led him to the rental. car.

“Sorry. Fuck. Sorry.”

“Kent Valeray.” Her tone was only slightly more scolding that earlier, but it still held no fire.

Kent dragged his hand down his face. He had so many things going on in his head at the moment. “What does this mean for Jack when he comes back?”

“It’s not your job to think about that.”

Kent followed his mom to the car. “Did I do okay?” he asked.

“Baby.”

Kent blushed. “It felt… really, really good to be on that line.” But just because he felt good on that line didn’t mean that he actually played well enough to stay on it.

“You did so well. A goal and two assists? I think you did a little more than okay.”

So, that part did happen too. “I… I did that, huh? And you got to see it.”

“I did,” Lydia said with a smile. “I’m glad that I did.”

Kent looked over at his mom and smile. “My good luck charm.”

“Baby. You don’t need luck. You worked so hard. The coaches obviously wanted to reward that. And, if you saw the way you played today, you were right where you belong.”

Kent felt his cheeks warm up even more. He had to wonder if his mom was just say things like that because he was his mom. He didn’t care, though. He had already played his first game on the first line with the team. They couldn’t take it back now. “I made first line. Oh man. I just wanna eat. And then I want to pass out. But I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep, you know? I’m so…”

Lydia couldn't help but laugh. Her laugh was kind and gentle. “You’re gonna crash so hard after dinner.”

Kent let out a laugh that made him sound a little delirious. “Probably.” He wasn’t sure how long he could keep this up. “I’m on the first line,” he said again.

“You’re on the first line.” She would say it over and over again to make it real for Kent.

“I didn’t think I’d ever say that.”

“Come on,” she said, unlocking the car. “Food. What are you craving?”

“I want lasagna,” Kent said. “So much lasagna.”

“Good. I prepped your favorite before we got here.”

“When did you even do that?” he asked. Probably when he was sleeping. His mom always woke up early to prep at the shop. She still woke up just as early when she was on vacation. “I love you so much. Did you make two?”

“Yes, of course. Mahea left left early with the twins and Mele so she could put it in the oven and it would be ready by the time we got there.”

Kent smiled a lazy smile. He was already feeling tired. “Best. Mom. Ever.” He put his things in the back of the car and shut the trunk. He slid his hands into his pockets and sighed.

“Come on. I need to feed you before you pass out.” She guided him to the passenger’s side and watched as he climbed into the seat and buckled in. She kissed him on his forehead before walking to the other side of the car and getting in. 

She looked over at Kent and saw that he had not stopped smiling. They drove back to the DeChambeaus in silence as Kent was still riding the adrenaline high.

He didn’t say much as he ate three helpings of lasagna. He did talk a bit with Evan after he congratulated him on making the first line and the plays he’d made. After offering to wash the dishes and being rejected, he headed upstairs and flopped on his bed.

He looked up when the door opened and his mom walked in. “Are there leftovers?” he asked.

“Of course. You didn’t eat as much as you think you did.” She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. She brushed her fingers through his hair and smiled. “<< _I’m so proud of you, baby_. >>”

“I’m proud of you too, mom,” Kent mumbled. He was ready to fall asleep. 

“And you're delirious,” Lydia said with a laugh.

“Probably,” Kent said. He rolled onto his back and stared at his ceiling. “Do you think dad saw?”

That reminded Lydia to reach around her neck and grab Kent's chain. She put it over his head and kissed his forehead. “I know he did, baby. He’s probably wearing your jersey. Drinking a beer. And bragging to anyone who will listen.”

“Yeah?”

Lydia could only nod since she couldn’t say anything for a few moments as her throat tightened up. “Get some sleep, baby,” she said the second she found her voice. “I love you so much.” She kissed Kent one more time before leaving him to sleep.

Kent was ready to fall asleep before he remembered that the Q had their first game against the Russians. He pulled out his laptop and looked up the results. He saw the Q lost, but Jack scored. He thought about sending Jack a text, but he was sure that Jack didn’t want to see it.

He didn’t want to ruin the high he was on since wasn’t sure how long this high was going to last.

He was ready to sleep without sending the text, but then his guilt got the better of him. He picked up his his phone and looked at all of the unanswered texts he’d sent Jack. He sighed, hoping Jack at least read the texts as he typed up one more.

 **To Jack Z:  
** (10:56 PM): Congrats on the goal. You’ll get them next game.

He fell asleep telling himself he didn’t care if Jack replied or not.

The next game he was still on the first line and Kent felt like the spot was his until he did something to screw it up. Kent notched another goal and assist as they won their second game. Kent gave credit his mom and good luck charm in the stands again. 

As happy as he was to be playing on the first line, the second win came with a bit of sadness.

Their coaches gave them a break after the second game so they could rest up for the third game. Kent used the day to go to Mass for the first time in months. 

After Mass, he changed back into his pajamas and sat on his bed with his mom to watch a movie as they figured out what they were going to do with the rest of their day. He bit his bottom lip and stared at his lap trying to avoid the elephant in the room. 

It didn’t last long.

“Do you really have to leave?” Kent asked after about two minutes of silence.

Lydia let out a gentle laugh. “I don’t want to.”

“I know. But you never stay away from work for too long. You have to head back. Cadence is going to freak out if you stay away for a few more days.”

Lydia reached into the bowl of popcorn that sat between them. “She’s getting better. I can’t wait for you to meet our other hires.” She ate the handful as she tried to find a movie for the two of them to watch on his laptop.

“How many?”

“There’s the new cashier. He’s so sweet. And the new chef is really good. He works hard. Very artistic.”

“As long as they’re helping you.” He knew how hard his mom worked to keep her business going. She had been doing so much on her own for so long. Kent was glad his mom finally had some help so she could relax for the first time since probably forever. “Maybe in a few years, they’ll be able to run the shop for more than a few days and you and I could… go away for a little bit.” He wanted to just spend time with her since he knew he would miss her even more once she left.

Lydia wiped her salt and butter covered hand on her dress and reached over to cup Kent’s cheek. “Hey. A few more weeks, and you’ll be home.” She knew how hard the distance was on Kent.

“Yeah. A few weeks. Probably hardest weeks of my life.”

Lydia leaned over and nudged her son. She grabbed another handful of popcorn. “Jack will be back soon, you know?” She shoved the handful of popcorn into her mouth right after.

“Why are you making it sound like he’s a replacement for you?”

She took a sip of her lemonade then shrugged. “I know you miss him.”

Kent sighed and nodded. He’d said it enough times the first day of his mom’s trip. “I do. But. You being here made me forget it for little bit, you know?” And now that his mom was leaving, it was making him remember everything. He dragged his hand down his face. “I don’t know what I did, mom. I hate that…”

“I know, baby. He’s your best friend.”

“Mom,” Kent said exasperatedly. He wasn’t exactly sure if that’s what he could call Jack. He was his friend. Best friend? Maybe. Something else? Definitely. But he wasn't admitting to that.

“Maybe more?”

Kent had to laugh. Apparently his poker face was terrible. “I don’t know.”

“And that’s okay, baby. You’re young. You’re allowed to fall in love a million times.”

“Mom. This isn’t love.” Kent sighed. “He’s just. Here. And I like him being here.”

“Baby. It’s okay.”

“I like Jack.” His eyes widened at what he’d just said. “Being here,” he quickly amended.  And it sucks that he doesn’t want to talk to me. But I know he’s busy. And he’s always gonna be busy.” He looked over at his mom. “We’re gonna be okay, right? Me and him?”

Lydia wiped her hand, reached over, and cupped her son’s cheek again. “I don’t know, baby.” She wanted nothing more than to say yes. She didn’t want her son to have to worry about these things. But he was going through some things she wouldn't be able to help him with. And it was frustrating.

“Yeah. I figured.” Kent shook his head. That topic of conversation needed to end immediately. He grabbed some popcorn. “What time is your flight?”

“Late tonight.”

Kent did the math. It would give them time to hang out before she had to leave. “A few weeks, huh?”

“A few weeks, then you’ll be home.” They had made his flight back to New York and then the return to Rimouski two days ago. “Snow. Christmas.”

That made him smile. Christmas in New York was one of his favorite times of the year. “So, what do you want to do until you fly out?”

“Food. Hang out. Maybe watch something a few movies? Unless you have homework.”

“I’m done,” Kent said with a smile.

“Kent,” Lydia said with a sigh.

“Hey, I’ve been on top of it,” he said.

“Good. My boy is going to graduate.” It had been hard for her to keep up with him keeping up his studies. Those conversations usually happened at the dinner table every night. It was difficult to constantly check on his homework since they were hundreds of miles apart. She had to go by his word that he was getting everything done on time. “Okay. So. What do you want to do today?”

“It’s your vacation.” He thought for a moment, but couldn’t come up with anything worth changing out of his pajamas for. “We can spend it the same way we spent my last day in New York.”

“Stay in?”

“Yeah. I mean, we can go out and eat, later, but I just wanna hang out, you know? It’s been months.”

The two of them stayed in for most of the day, only leaving to find something to eat.

Two hours before his mom was set to fly out, Kent felt the sadness creeping in. He rode with his mom to the airport with Konani following behind so that he could bring Kent home. He carried his mom’s bag into the airport and stood off to the side while she checked in. He let out a shaky breath as he tried to put on a brave face. He always hated airports, ever since he was a teenager.

His throat felt tight and he could feel his eyes begin to water as they approached the security line. “This sucks,” he said softly when they stopped right outside the entrance. They stood off to the side so people could walk in.

“It does,” Lydia said. “But. You’re doing so well here, baby.”

“A few weeks,” he said like a mantra that would keep him going.

“Then you’ll be home. And it’ll be Christmas. And then you’ll fly back for New Year’s. Or I could fly up.”

“No way. Christmas and New Year's in New York, mom.”

“You're right.” She brushed her fingers through Kent’s hair. “I’m so proud of you, baby. I hope you know that.”

“I know, mom,” he said. “You say it all the time.” He didn’t mind it, though. He loved hearing it.

“I mean it every time.” She looked at her watch and saw that she needed to head through security soon. “One more hug?”

“Yeah,” Kent said with a sigh. He wrapped his arms around his mom and squeezed her as tightly as he could.

“Baby, I have to breathe.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Kent said with a laugh as he let her go. He could feel the tears forming again in his eyes. “Call me as soon as you land?”

Lydia’s eyes mirrored her son’s. She was ready to cry. “It’ll be late,” she said softly. “I don’t want you staying up too late waiting for me to call.”

“I don’t care. Cadence is picking you up, right?”

“Baby. I got it.”

“I love you, mom.”

“<< _I love you too, baby_ >>,” Lydia said. She pulled her son in for one more hug. “A few more weeks, okay? You got this.” She reached up and wiped away the tears that had fallen.

Kent nodded and stepped back to let his mom walk through security. He headed toward the parking lot once he couldn’t see her through the crowd. He wiped the tears from his cheek as he walked out of the airport and saw Konani waiting for him. He didn’t say anything as he got into the car and they drove home.

The house felt ten times more empty now that his mom was gone.

With her gone, he threw himself into keeping up the team’s win streak. They won their last game at home. Then they were on the road. Again he roomed with Norms for the roadie. 

They won the first game with relative ease. Kent was grateful for that. He was still emotionally drained since his mom had left. He hadn’t played his best the first game, but he was glad Cookie and Norms did enough to have his back on the ice.

With how terribly he was playing, he was sure that he was going to get pushed back down to the second line. He didn't mind it as much as he thought he would. Jack would be back and back on the first line, not that they played the same position anyway. 

He didn’t have much faith in being on the first line for the second game. He was surprised Coach Gallagher kept the lineup as it was.

The game was horrible from start to finish. It wasn’t anything that he did. It was that the team couldn’t find its legs until the third period. Coming back from a 1-3 deficit wasn’t easy. Luckily, they fought hard enough to take it in overtime. Kent wasn’t exactly sure how they came up with a win.

They were happy for their win streak and hoped they could continue it by winning their last game on the road. 

At the arena they were playing their last game, Kent and the team was met with a surprise. Jack and Krush had flown in to play the last game with the team after winning the second game against the Russians. 

Being on the first line was fun while it lasted.

The team was getting dressed when the coaches walked in to announce the lines. Kent was still taping his stick when the coaches started talking. He wasn’t paying too much attention as he wasn’t expecting to hear his name until later in the lineup.

“First line. Amos. Zimmermann. Parson.”

“What?” Kent and Jack said at the same time. They looked at each other before Jack looked away. It was the first time Jack had even looked in his direction since he’d arrived.

He dragged his hand down his face. He was going to be playing on the same line as Jack. Starting.

Holy shit.

Kent tried to talk to Jack before their warmups, but Jack didn’t seem like he wanted to talk to anyone. Especially Kent by the way he was avoiding him. This was fine by Kent. He needed to finish his own pregame anyway.

Kent finished and saw that Jack had finished at the same time. He walked over and saw that Jack stared at him the same way Jack did when he first came to Quebec.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming back,” he said.

“I don’t have to tell you everything,” Jack said.

Kent winced and took a step back. Well, it was safe to say that Jack was still mad. At him. He knew for sure that whatever happened at the party was his fault. “Right,” he said. “Well, it’s good to have you back.” 

Kent went to the rest of their teammates as they headed out for warmups. He didn’t talk to Jack the entire time. Jack barely even looked in his direction. 

Luckily, this didn’t carry on into the game.

They stood next to each other during the anthem. Once it finished, Jack skated over and patted him on his shoulder like he did before every game.

Of course he wasn’t going to mess with his pregame, no matter how mad at Kent he was.

Kent skated out to the center of the rink and lined up as Jack lined up for the face-off.

Kent played this game like a bounce back game, even though they had won the last game. He needed to play better. Even more so now that he was on the same line as Jack for more than just the power play. He needed to prove that he was ready to play with him on the first line.

They did okay, considering the pace of the game was much faster than it was the last game.

At the end of the second period Kent had an assist, as did Jack. But the game was tied. No one in the locker room wanted to go through back to back overtimes.

While the team made good plays and had good shots, the other team’s goalie was on fire. He was stopping everything that they shot at him.

Whether the team was going to play another overtime came down to one play. The teams were both chippy by the end of the period. If the game didn’t end in regulation, there was probably going to be a fight even if fighting wasn’t allowed.

Kent and Jack were in the defensive zone with two minutes left and the other team had already taken three shots on goal. Kent would be forever grateful to Figgy for stopping all those shots.

After the other team’s fourth shot attempt a rebound came to him, and Kent took off down the ice. His conditioning and speed put him ahead of everyone else. He looked over his shoulder and saw that he had a defender coming up behind him and Jack across him on the ice.

The other team’s goalie looked like he had to make a decision to cut off him or Jack. It all depended on what the defender was doing.

The defender chose him, and for a split second, the goalie chose Jack. He had a window to take the shot. But he saw the goalie ready to make the move to his post, expecting a shot on goal. 

Kent sent the puck between the defender’s legs and right where Jack was going to be. He placed the puck in a perfect place, hitting Jack’s stick and lining him up at the best angle for the game winner.

Kent was so focused on making the pass to Jack that he didn’t notice the second d-man skating up to him. He was checked right into the boards. He couldn’t get mad at the hit. It was clean. 

And he got the result he wanted.

Jack scored.

Then the clock ticked down and the game ended.

His teammates skated over to celebrate his pass and Jack’s goal. Kent noticed one teammate standing off to the side glaring at him.

Kent had no idea what he had done to make Jack mad. They won the game and Kent thought that would have been enough to make Jack happy.

Apparently not.

Jack avoided him during the celly, and then again in the locker room. Jack didn’t say a word to him as they sat next to each other on the bus ride back to the hotel. Again, Jack wasn’t one to break with his routine.

Norms came over as he got off the bus and told him that he’d moved his stuff out of their room to stay with Krush. Jack was his roommate again.

Once they were in their room, Kent thought it was safe to finally try and start a conversation. “Jack?”

“What?” Jack said with a lot more bite than Kent was expecting. 

Any other day, Kent would have let it all go, but he was tired. And irritated. And he thought that whatever the reason Jack was mad at him would’ve been in the past since they won. Apparently not. “Okay, what the hell is your problem?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit,” Kent hissed.

“I’ve been back for not even one day, Kent. You really want to start a fight with me?”

“You’re the one that left us like… like…” Kent furrowed his brow as he tried to think of a word to finish what he was trying to say. He couldn’t come up with anything. “Did I do something wrong?”

Jack waited a moment, staring at Kent’s face before shaking his head at him. “No.”

“You haven’t talked to me for two weeks.”

“You did the same thing.”

“Yeah, but that’s because I was…” His voice trailed off. His reasons for not talking to Jack could not be the same reason why Jack was ignoring him while he was away.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Kent said quickly.

“Busy,” Jack finished. “You were busy.”

“Yeah,” Kent said, his tone weak. He was as unconvincing now as he was all those weeks ago.

“Yeah. Well, I was busy too,” Jack said. “If you didn’t notice, I had to go and play hockey with a bunch of strangers for two weeks. I didn’t have time to text you with updates on my life.”

Kent’s eyes went wide. “Okay,” he said. He dragged his hand down his face and shook his head. “I see how it is.” They weren’t as close as he thought they were. “You know what, I’m going to go hang out with Mega.” He stepped around the Jack to head to the door. He needed to leave before he started screaming. Or crying. Or both.

“Don’t, Kent,” Jack said, reaching out and grabbing Kent’s arm before he was out of reach.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Kent yanked his arm out of Jack’s grip. “You gonna tell me why you’re acting like this?”

There was a pause that seemed to last for hours. “No.”

“I’m leaving.” Kent walked away from Jack. He figured he was going to hide out in Mega’s room for the night so he didn’t have to deal with this mood swing.

“You gave up a shot,” Jack said when Kent was out of reach.

Kent froze in the small hallway near the bathroom. That’s why Jack was mad at him? “No, I didn’t.” He kept his face neutral because he did have a good shot. And he would’ve made it. But then he saw Jack coming and the goalie moving and passed it instead.

“You had the shot, Kent.”

Okay, maybe that was true. His clapper was fast enough that he could’ve beaten the goalie before he got into position. “You had a better one.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do, Jack. The goalie was moving to me. You were open. I had a good shot, but I had a better setup.”

Jack paused for a moment, as if he didn’t expect that reply. He shook his head because it didn’t matter. “Take the damn shot next time.”

“Not if you have a better one.” Kent’s shot had a chance of being blocked or hitting the post or defender, Jack’s shot was a guaranteed goal. The choice was easy. He would go for the guaranteed goal every time. “Why are you mad?” he asked. “You won the game.”

“I can do that without your help.”

“I know that.” Kent made his way back to Jack, crowding his space. He hated that Jack had a few inches on him. He was a lot more intimidating wearing his pads and skates. Without them, he was scrawny and tiny and was pretty sure that Jack could pick him up and throw him if he wanted. But he wasn’t going to back down from this. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m gonna make sure that if you have a better shot, you get it.”

“I wouldn’t do the same for you.” Jack took a step forward showing how much larger he was than Kent.

Kent took as many steps back until he was pressed up against the wall behind him. “That's fine. Pad your stats that way.”

Jack let out a huff and rolled his eyes at him. “You are infuriating.”

“You came into this conversation angry,” Kent said with a growl. “That’s not my fault.”

Jack growled back. “You don’t know what I’m feeling.”

“Don't I?” Kent said with much more force than he intended. He saw Jack’s eyes go wide. Kent misread something. “Jack.” He waited and got no response. “Jack?” he pressed much more gently than he’d done a few minutes ago. 

“I’m not mad,” Jack said.

Kent let out a laugh like he didn’t believe Jack for a second. “Sure could’ve fooled me.”

Jack stared at Kent as if he were trying to figure out what the next best course of action was. “Fine, I’m a little mad.”

Kent was actually surprised that Jack admitted that. He expected Jack was just going to continue acting like he wasn’t. “You want to tell me why?”

“A lot of reasons,” he said.

“Because I passed the puck,” Kent said easily. Obviously that was an important, if not tipping, point. 

“That’s not the only reason,” Jack said, rolling his eyes.

“Give me like one more.”

Jack dropped his gaze, unable to look at Kent. “I saw the hit after your pass. You weren’t paying attention. You could've gotten hurt.”

Kent let out a laugh, before bringing his hand up to cover his mouth. It was definitely inappropriate considering the tension in the room. He dropped his hand when Jack looked up and raised an eyebrow. “Jack. It’s hockey. It’s always a risk. But I got two assists. And you scored. Isn’t that what’s important?” Kent saw Jack furrow his brow. Again, he misread something. 

“Shut up,” Jack said through clenched teeth.

“Why?” Kent never knew when to back off. His mom always said he was a curious kid. 

“Just shut up,” Jack said. “I can’t think when you’re like this.” He looked up at Kent, this time not breaking eye contact. He clenched his fist, but he wasn’t going to hit Kent. It was supposed to ground him. 

“No,” Kent said. “Not until you tell me why you’ve been so weird.”

“I...” Jack started softly before stopping himself from finishing that sentence.

“You what, Jack?” Kent was tired of fighting with Jack. Actually, just tired in general. Especially after such a high intensity game. But going through these mental and emotional gymnastics with Jack was just exhausting.

He waited for Jack to say something. When he didn’t, he dropped his head and shook it. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to either leave the room or put his headphones in and fall asleep. All he knew is that he didn’t want to deal with Jack tonight. “You know what? I’m out.” he said softly. He stepped to the side so he could get away from Jack crowding him. He hoped Mega was back from dinner so he could crash in his room. 

Jack reached out and grabbed Kent’s hand before he could step too far. “Wait.”

Kent looked at his hand in Jack’s, then up at Jack’s face, meeting his eyes. “Jack,” he said softly. “I’m tired. I can’t do this, right now. Not when you’re—”

“I... I want to kiss you.”

What? That was what Kent wanted to say. Because there was no way that he had heard what he thought he had heard. The look on Jack’s face told Kent that Jack really said it.

Jack wanted to kiss him.

Kent should’ve pretended he didn’t hear him. Instead, he said something else. “Okay.”

That was all the permission Jack needed. He reached up to cup Kent’s cheek and leaned forward.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's been a year since I first posted this fic. I tried to keep up with one chapter a month, but life happens.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me!

Jack’s lips were warm against Kent’s. And a little chapped if Kent were to be honest. 

He could have used other words to describe everything, but his brain wasn’t exactly working. 

They were kissing. 

Jack’s lips against Kent’s told him that this was real.

Jack pulled back after a minute or so to remind himself that he needed to breathe. 

Kent was the first to open his eyes and saw that Jack’s were still closed. Jack slowly opened them and stared at Kent. “Jack?” Kent asked as Jack took a few, quick steps back.

“I… I need to. Bathroom,” Jack said, his eyes on Kent’s lips.

“Right. I. Ice.” Kent winced when he realized how he sounded. He watched Jack step around him and walk into the bathroom. He only moved when he heard Jack lock the door behind him.

Kent needed to leave. Only because he said that he was going to. But he also wanted to make sure Jack was okay. He would do that when he came back. Kent would do it after he his brain started working again.

He grabbed the ice bucket before stepping out of the room. As soon as the door shut, he leaned against the door, staring up at the hallway ceiling.

He and Jack had just kissed.

Holy shit.

He pinched his arm to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming, not that he dreamed about kissing Jack all the time. Just sometimes. Maybe once or twice, not that amount of times was important. 

He pushed against the door to stand up. He needed to find the ice machine.

He took a turn down the hall and jumped when he saw the Zimmermanns. “Mom,” Kent said. His eyes went wide. “Jack’s mom. Not my mom,” he said. “My mom’s in New York.” He bit his bottom lip to stop rambling. “Hi, Mrs. Zimmermann.”

“You called her mom, but you haven’t slipped and called me Dad Bob?” Bob said, almost offended. 

“Hush, Bobby,” Alicia said, lightly bumping him on his shoulder. “Kent, honey. You okay?” She saw Kent holding the ice bucket to his chest. He looked frazzled. “What are you doing out?”

“Just…” He looked down at his arms as if he forgot the reason why for a moment. “Ice. Needed ice. To cool down.” He bit the inside of his cheek, feeling like he gave away too much. 

“I see,” Alicia said. Something was going on, but she wasn’t going to push it. Maybe with Jack, but not with Kent. “Have you and Jack eaten already?”

Kent had decided against going out after the game because he needed to talk to Jack. He was hungry since he skipped dinner, but he didn’t mention it. “I… I’m not sure if Jack did. But, I think I’m okay,” he said.

“Why don’t you go see if he’s hungry?” Alicia said. “We’ll be in room 235. Let us know if you want to go out, or he wants us to get something.”

Kent nodded. “Yeah. Okay. But. Ice.” He held up the bucket. He then headed down the hall and filled the bucket up before making his way back to the room.

He opened the door to find Jack sitting on his bed. He put the bucket near the TV and sat down across from Jack. He stared at him, waiting for him to say something. 

“Where were you?” Jack finally said.

“I was getting ice. Like I said I was gonna.” Did he actually need the ice for anything? Not really. 

“Did you get lost?”

Kent rolled his eyes. “No.” He tensed when he saw Jack staring at him. “I… I saw your mom and dad.”

“What?” Jack yelled, jumping up to his feet. “What did you tell them?” He crossed the short distance between the beds to tower over Kent.

Kent had to stand up because he felt so small in front of Jack. “Nothing,” he said. “They saw me. They wanted to know if you ate.”

“And what did you say? Did you say anything about the kiss?” Jack asked.

“No? Why would I do that?” If it was his own mom, he probably would’ve blurted, but it wasn’t his place to say anything to Jack’s parents.

“You better not have said anything.”

“I didn’t!” Kent said. “Calm down.” He watched Jack blink twice then take a step back.

“I am calm,” Jack said with a furrowed brow. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He did a few more times. “You… you said something about food?”

“Your mom and dad did. You didn’t eat.”

“You didn’t either.”

“It’s fine,” Kent said. “I got a few bars in my bag. And some extra Starbursts.” 

Jack let out a sigh as if the sound was enough to make Kent feel bad about his food choices. . “What room were they in?” he asked.

“Uh… 235. Your mom said just knock.” He sat down on his bed and stared at Jack. He reached over and grabbed the controller.

“You sure you don’t want anything?” Jack asked.

“I’m okay,” Kent said. “Go. Before it gets too late.”

“You’ll be here when I get back?”

“Yeah. I’ll be here,” Kent said. He watched Jack grab his wallet and put on a jacket before leaving the room and leaving him alone.

He contemplated going to a teammate’s room, but he decided against it. He didn't know how long Jack would be gone and he wanted to be here when he returned.

He sat against the headboard and turned on the TV and left it on whatever channel it was already on. He wasn’t really paying attention to anything around him.

He felt himself tiring out. He scooted to lie down and shut his eyes to rest them. He’d wake before Jack came back.

He woke up when he felt someone shaking his leg. He was tempted to kick out, but he stopped himself. “Stop,” he groaned as he rolled onto his back. He looked up and saw Jack standing over him. “Hi,” he said sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Jack stepped back and handed him a bag. “I got you something,” he said.

Kent took the bag and looked inside. “Chicken strips?”

“Easiest choice when you aren’t really sure what to choose for someone else.”

“Thanks,” Kent said, reaching into the bag and taking out the food. “Fries too?” he asked with a smile.

“Of course fries too,” Jack said.

Kent stood up and went to eat at the table so he didn’t get crumbs all over his bed. He looked at Kent. “So, what do I owe you?”

“Owe me?”

“For the food?”

Jack shook his head. “Nothing. You don’t owe me anything.”

Kent stared at Jack before he took a bite. He made a note to buy Jack food at least once so that it would even out.

He dropped his gaze when he realized he was staring directly at him while he was eating. He finished the food quickly and threw away the trash.

He looked up and saw Jack watching him. “You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? We won.”

Kent rolled his eyes. Of course, Jack would be talking about hockey. “Right. Okay,” he said. “So. I guess we’re not gonna—”

“No, we are not,” Jack said.

Kent sighed loudly. He wasn’t sure why he was upset about it. He figured they should’ve talked about it, right? It was a kiss.

Between two guys.

Which wouldn’t be a big deal because he’d done it before. 

But it was Jack.

He went to his bed, thinking that they were going to spend the rest of the night watching TV and sleeping.

“I didn’t kiss Izzie,” Jack said as Kent reached for the remote.

Kent stilled his hand an inch away from the remote. He looked at Jack and moved to mirror his position on his bed. “I didn’t kiss Izzie either,” he said.

“Kent,” Jack said with a sigh. 

Sometimes Kent needed to think before he said things. “I mean, I didn’t kiss Sammie. On that date. I didn’t kiss her.”

“Why not?” Jack asked. “You two were having a great time.”

“She just… wasn’t my type?”

Jack nodded. “Izzie said I had someone else on my mind.”

“What?” Kent asked.

“I mean, she was right,” Jack said with a shrug. “Considering what just happened.”

“So, we’re talking about it.”

“We kissed.”

“I know,” Kent said. “I was there.” He waited for Jack to say something else, but he didn’t. He didn’t know how he was supposed to go about this now. They kissed. Now, what was supposed to change? “So…”

“What, Kent?” Jack said.

“Was I your first kiss?” Kent asked with a smirk. Lightening the tone would be better for the two of them. 

“What?” Jack asked with comically large eyes. “Are you saying that I’m a bad kisser?”

“Yes,” Kent said as seriously as he could. “But also. When do you have time to be kissing people? All you do is hockey,” he said. “And school. And hockey. And eat protein. And go to sleep at five like an old person.” He furrowed his brow. “You can be grumpy like an old person too.”

“I don’t sleep at five.”

“Point is,” Kent said. “I was your first kiss, wasn’t I.”

“No, Kent. You weren’t.”

“Oh?” Kent asked. “Then, who was he? Or she.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“It is if it was me.” 

Jack let out a sigh. “Kenny,” he said. 

Kent bit the inside of his cheek and raised his eyebrow. “I’m Kenny now?” he asked. He felt his cheeks warm. 

Jack gave him a nickname. 

“Yes. Right now, you are. It doesn't matter who my first kiss was.”

“Because you’re gonna be kissing me from now on until the end of time?” Kent asked. He’d seen hundreds of romantic comedies to know that line came next.

“You’re going to be the worst about this, aren’t you?” Jack asked.

“Absolutely.”

“You’re already the worst,” Jack said.

Kent could only shrug. He knew Jack didn't mean it. “If it makes you feel any better…” he started softly. He blushed, wondering if it would be the right thing to say. “You were my first kiss. Well, my first kiss that was anything special.”

“Really?” Jack asked.

Kent smiled at how pleased Jack sounded. “I’ve kissed people before, but they were just… expected? You know. End of a dance. End of a date. Except the thing with Sammie. Could we really even consider that a date?”

“So, this kiss,” Jack said, gesturing between the two of them. “It meant something.”

“Yeah, man,” Kent said, standing up and raising his eyebrow. He crossed the short distance between their beds and crossed his arms over his chest. “I got to kiss Bad Bob Zimmermann’s son,” he teased. Jack reached over pinched Kent’s arm. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Kent said, stepping back and rubbing the spot. “Damn. Why are you pinching like you’re trying to get skin?”

“If you’re going to pinch someone, you go for the kill,” he said. Jack held up his hand and made a pinching gesture.

“Your instinct is terrifying.”

“Come here,” Jack said, offering his hand. Kent glared at it because as friendly as it seemed, it was a step away from being another pinch. Jack sighed. “Promise, I won’t pinch you again.”

“I know where you sleep, Jack.”

“Kenny,” Jack said with unbelievable ease. “Come here. I want to kiss you again. This time without making it look like I want to punch you first.”

Kent let out a gentle laugh and shook his head. The lead up to their first kiss wasn’t ideal. Kent hoped every other kiss from now on wouldn’t be that way. He blushed knowing that their first kiss wasn’t going to be their only one. “It’s nice to know you have more emotions than just hockey,” he said.

“Hockey isn’t an emotion.”

Kent took Jack’s hand and let out a squeak when Jack pulled him forward. Kent climbed up and straddled Jack’s lap. “Hockey is your entire being. For you, it’s an emotion.”

Jack rolled his eyes and pulled Kent over to kiss him. It was short. He pulled back and sighed. “Okay. So, I’m mostly hockey.”

Kent blushed and smiled softly. “Okay. You’re hockey. So, what are we now?”

Jack stared at Kent, holding him by his hips. He licked his lips and shrugged. “Why do we have to be anything different than what we were ten minutes ago?”

“So, we’re the same as we were ten minutes ago. We just kiss now,” Kent said for clarification.

“Do you want to start dating or something? Call each other boyfriends?” Jack shook his head. “I have something to tell you, Kent. I don’t have time to date. I’m a hockey player.”

Kent fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Well,” he said. “Good thing I don’t have time to date either.” He sucked in a breath when Jack squeezed his hips. “But… but if I did, I totally have a thing for hockey players.”

Jack laughed. He leaned in to kiss Kent again, but he stopped himself. The pause gave him a moment to brush his fingers through Kent’s hair. “Okay,” he said.

“What are you doing?” Kent asked, leaning into the touch.

“You have freckles on your nose.”

Kent pushed Jack on his shoulder. “Are you joking? Friggen sap.”

Jack pulled Kent back for another kiss. He pulled back and looked into Kent’s eyes. “Promise me this won’t get in the way of hockey,” he said softly.

“It won’t. I promise.”

Jack nodded, glad to hear it. “Good,” he said.

“Gotta make sure you go first, Jack,” Kent said with a sigh. “It’s why I’m here. I’m your prop, remember?”

Jack frowned and wondered why that sounded so familiar. He remembered it was from the conversation they had when they first met. “You’re an idiot,” he said. “You weren’t brought here for me.”

Kent shrugged. “Your dad has a bit of pull,” he said.

“You’re here because you’re supposed to be here.”

Kent smiled. “I think you like me a little bit,” he said.

“Mostly when you’re not talking,” Jack replied.

“So, more kissing then?” Kent asked. He’d come to really, really enjoy their kisses. 

“Maybe,” Jack said. He moved his hands down Kent’s thighs. “Why don’t we watch something?”

Kent climbed off of Jack’s lap so he could get into his own bed, but Jack grabbed his hand and held it. “Jack?”

“Come on,” he said. Jack scooted over to one side of the bed and pulled Kent to lie down with him. He grabbed the controller and turned on the TV. “We can stay up for one hour,” he said. “We have to wake up early to head back.”

“If I last and hour.” He looked over at Jack and smiled. “Maybe I should get in my bed. I’m gonna fall asleep soon.”

“Without brushing your teeth?”

Kent rolled his eyes and climbed out of the bed. He was quick to brush his teeth and make sure all his things were packed so he didn't have to worry in the morning. He stood between the two beds, trying to figure out if he should climb into his or Jack’s bed.

“Come on, Kenny,” Jack said, patting the empty half of bed next to him.

“Is Kenny gonna be a thing?” he asked. “Because I don't know if I like it.”

“Lie down. Stop talking.”

“Such a Prince Charming,” Kent said. He climbed into Jack’s bed and sucked in a breath when Jack pulled him close. He did not mind the proximity as much as he thought he would. He stayed pressed up against Jack as they watched hockey highlights.

He got through almost an hour before he found himself too tired to stay up. He leaned against Jack and fell asleep watching a replay of the Canadiens and Capitals game.

When Kent woke up, he was still in Jack’s bed. He wanted to freak out about it, but he couldn’t. Not while Jack snored softly with his arm around his waist and his face tucked into his shoulder.

Jack wasn’t freaking out about this, so he wasn’t going to either.

They kissed last night. And fell asleep in the same bed.

It was one of the best sleeps Kent had had in a long, long time. He slid out of Jack’s bed to clean up before they needed to get to the bus. When he stepped out of the bathroom, Jack was awake and changing his shirt.

They checked the room one last time, then headed out. 

Once they were out of the privacy of the hotel room they acted the way they usually acted. They sat together on the bus. They watched a movie on Kent’s laptop with a headphone in each ear. They fell asleep, leaning on each other. 

Like Jack wanted, they were exactly the same as they’d always been. Except, now they kissed in secret.

Kent woke up when they arrived at their home arena and saw the Zimmermanns waiting for them. He grabbed his things and him and Jack got into the car so they could grab something to eat before driving back to the DeChambeau house.

Watching Jack, Kent would have never been able to guess that they had kissed. Multiple times.

Kent felt like he wasn’t keeping up appearances as well as Jack. He kept watching him. He stayed a safe distance from him. He rarely spoke to him the moment they stepped into the house.

He didn’t think it was that obvious about it until Konani asked him why he was acting weird.

Kent scoffed and brushed it off, but it didn’t help deter the looks from Konani. 

After dinner, Kent holed himself up in his room to finish a study guide for a test when he heard a knock on his door. “Come in,” he said as he finished up a page. He looked up and saw Jack walk in. “Hi?”

Jack sat down on Kent’s bed and put a hand on Kent’s ankle, squeezing it. “You need to stop being weird,” he said.

“Like, in general?” Kent asked. “Or is this pertaining to a specific thing I’ve done?”

“We said that nothing was supposed to change,” Jack said. He pointed back and forth between the two of them. “Nothing. And you’re being obvious enough that Konani noticed something.”

“He was there when you and I weren’t talking to each other after that party. Maybe he thinks that we’re still weird. Which—”

“We aren’t,” Jack said. He rolled his eyes at the face Kent made. “Kent. We’re not.”

Kent let out a sigh. He dragged both of his hands down his face. “If you say so,” he said softly.

“You okay?” Jack asked.

“Do I not look okay?”

“You look tired.”

“I got some tests coming up,” he said. “And I have to figure out how to finish up the last two merit badges and come up with a service project.” He shook his head. “It’ll probably have to do with hockey. I’m gonna have a busy summer.”

“Don’t forget to think about camps.”

“And camps.” Kent let out an exaggerated groan. “I’m tired just thinking about it.”

“Don’t let the coaches see how tired you are,” Jack said. “You just got on the first line, don’t give them a reason to take you off.”

“They’d take me off because I’m tired?”

“They’re supposed to. It doesn’t look good on them if they wear us out.”

“Good to know that now,” Kent said. He looked over at Jack and relaxed just a bit. “I’m just glad that this short break is coming up. I miss my mom.”

“How was her visit?”

Kent tilted his head to look at Jack. “You knew about it too?”

“We all did. It was supposed to be a surprise for you.”

Kent smiled when he remembered seeing her on the other side of his door. “Yeah. It was.”

Jack smiled when he saw Kent smile. “Okay. I’m gonna head to bed. I’ll let you finish whatever you were doing.”

“It’s fine,” Kent said, pushing his laptop under his pillow. “I don’t think I can fill out any more of it tonight. Brain’s off.”

“What was it?” Jack asked, looking at the pillow.

“Science study guide.”

“Well, if you’re not going to study, you need to sleep.”

“That’s probably true,” Kent said. He was tired. Especially after everything that happened with Jack over the last few weeks.

“Good night, Kent,” Jack said. He leaned over and kissed Kent on his lips before standing up to leave.

Kent’s eyes went wide. Apparently Jack was going to be kissing Kent often. Kent did not seem to mind. “Night, Jack,” he said as Jack headed to the door and shut it behind him. 

He fell asleep after texting his mom good night.

His sleep was not as peaceful as it was the night before. 

The next few weeks went by quickly which Kent was grateful for. The faster the days went, the sooner he’d be back in New York with his mom. 

The team was doing great. They had won six of their last seven games which put them in a good position in the standings before the short break.

The team didn’t want the focus to be on Jack and Kent being on the same line, but their chemistry was hard to ignore. Jack was on a scoring streak. Kent had a point streak of his own, mostly coming off of assists to Jack.

There was a lot of talk of Jack declaring for the draft at the end of the season.

That was something Kent didn’t want to think too hard about.

But, in the moments that he let himself, he knew that it was pretty much Jack’s destiny to play in the NHL. He was making waves in the Q before even playing a game. He was a legacy. He was kicking ass. He’d get much more recognition if he were on a team with a better record, but the team was getting better with each game.

There was a high chance that they wouldn’t be together a year from now. 

That bothered Kent more than he wanted to admit.

The team headed into the Christmas break at eight games over .500.

The night before Kent was supposed to fly back to New York, he sat on his bed with Jack as they watched the Habs play the Panthers. Kent wasn’t paying that much attention to the game.

He was more focused on the fact that he was flying home. He was excited, and he knew he would be restless the entire night because of it.

It was nice to take a short break from hockey, not that he’d ever say that to Jack.

He was ready for New York.

But it would be the first time he and Jack were apart since they started kissing.

Which sounded ridiculous when put in those terms.

It didn’t make it any less true. 

The second period ended and Jack got off of Kent’s bed.

“Where are you heading?” Kent asked. “Are you heading downstairs? Can you get me a water?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t heading downstairs. But, yeah, I’ll get you a water.”

“Wait, you don’t have to,” Kent said. The last thing Kent wanted to do was make Jack go out of his way just for him.

Jack looked over and raised his eyebrow. “Just stay there, I’ll be back.”

Kent nodded and settled back down to waited for Jack. He returned after a few minutes with two bottles of water in one hand and a small box wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper in the other. “What is that?” Kent asked, staring at the box instead of the bottles. 

“Merry Christmas,” Jack said, holding out both hands. He dropped a bottle onto the bed and watched as Kent took the small box.

“You got me something?” Kent said, staring at the box.

Jack nodded and sat back down on the bed. “I did. I saw it and I thought of you. It’s okay if you didn’t get me anything.”

Kent rolled his eyes. He did get Jack something, but Jack couldn’t have known that. “What is it?” he asked, holding the box to his ear and shaking it. He frowned. He heard nothing.

“Just open it,” Jack said. He reached over and grabbed Kent’s hand when he moved to tear a corner. “Not now. It’s not Christmas.”

Kent let out a huff. “Fine,” he said. He scooted off his bed and went to one of the drawers. He opened it and pulled out a box. He stood next to his bed and held it out to Jack. “For you,” he said. “Merry Christmas.”

Jack held the box up and shook it. He felt something moving around. “I didn’t just break something did I?”

“Nah. It’s kinda… there are pieces. You can get crafty with it.”

“Crafty?”

“Sort of. It’s a two part gift.”

“I only got you one thing,” Jack said.

“And that’s fine,” Kent replied. “It’s not a competition. Besides, one is just for fun. And one is something I hope you’ll actually… like?”

“I’m sure I’ll like both gifts,” Jack said with a nod.

Kent smiled and sat back on the bed a little closer to Jack than he was before. The laptop still sat between them as they waited for the game to start again. He grabbed the water Jack brought up and took a sip. “So. What do you usually do for Christmas?”

“Nothing too extravagant,” Jack said. “We have guests over and then we open one gift on Christmas Eve. Then we go to church. Go skating on the lake. Then we open the rest of our gifts after Christmas dinner.” Jack took a sip of his own water. “What do you do?”

“I think it might be a little different this year,” Kent said. “I haven’t seen the tree yet, so I definitely want to do that. Maybe go skating. Definitely have to go to midnight Mass. Then me and mom stay all day in our pajamas, watch movies. Open gifts.” He shrugged. “I think I’m gonna use the time to just… relax.”

“You have a lot going on,” Jack said.

“So do you.”

“Yes. But I’m not a Boy Scout. I’ve already graduated high school. And, on top of that, you have scouts looking at you.”

Kent rolled his eyes. “I think you were talking about yourself for that last one.”

“Kent,” he said with a sigh. “You really think that scouts aren’t look at you with how you’ve been playing the last few games?”

“I’m only on their radar because of you.”

“Maybe. But you are still on their radar. You still have half a season to impress them,” Jack said. He reached over and turned down the volume of the laptop so they could talk. “And if you don’t have any teams wanting you, you’ll be one of the top prospects next season.”

“Even if that’s true,” Kent started. “It’ll be different because you and like a handful of players on the team won’t be here next year.”

“What do you mean I won’t be here?”

“Jack,” Kent said with a sigh. “Come on. You’re definitely declaring at the end of the season.” Why wouldn’t he? By this time next year, maybe Kent would be watching Jack on his laptop.

“It’s not as definite as you’re making it sound.”

Kent looked over and raised his eyebrow. “You’re not declaring?”

“I don’t want to talk about that now,” Jack said. “I still have a few months to make that decision.”

“It’s gonna come up fast,” Kent said. 

“Yeah. I know. But, I didn’t produce my best work this season.”

“You still have half a season to impress them,” Kent said with a smirk.

Jack reached over and grabbed Kent by his shirt. He pulled him over and kissed him on his lips. He held it there for a few seconds before pulling back. “We both do,” he said, looking into Kent’s eyes. “Right?”

Kent nodded. “You and me,” he said softly.

“You and me.” Jack kissed him one more time before leaning back to watch the rest of the game.

The game ended and Jack grabbed his gift and water bottle before getting out of bed. “Don’t stay up too late,” he said. “Mom and dad are picking us up early and we’ll take you to the airport.”

“I know the plan, Jack,” Kent said, rolling his eyes. Then he smiled. “Good night.”

Jack smiled back. “Good night, Kent,” he said, then left.

Kent woke up before his alarm clock and triple checked to make sure he had everything he was bringing back to New York. He was going to be home for ten days, so he needed to bring a few things. 

He got into the Zimmermann’s car so they could drop him at the airport before heading back down to Montreal. He got out of the car once they arrived and raised his eyebrow as Jack followed him, holding his carry on.

Kent checked in and walked toward the security line with Jack next to him and the Zimmermanns following behind. Once they were close enough to security, he turned to look at Jack. “Probably wouldn’t be appropriate to kiss you now, huh?”

“We’re not that kind of couple, Kent.”

“Couple?” Kent said, raising his eyebrow at him. “Whoa, man. I thought we weren’t going to put a label on this,” he said pointing back and forth between them. 

Jack rolled his eyes and slapped Kent’s hand before handing him his carry on. “You know what I mean.”

Kent took his bag with one hand and held up a fist with the other. “See you in a week and a half,” he said with a smile.

Jack brought his fist up to bump Kent’s. “Have a safe flight,” he replied. 

“Let me know if you like your gift.” Kent then left quickly because he saw a rush of people heading toward them.

The flight home was one of the fastest he’d been on. Or, at least, it felt that way. He got off the plane and headed outside since he didn’t have a bag to claim. He saw his mom standing in the pick up area holding a sign with his name on it.

“There he is!” she shouted, excited. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him. “Hi, baby.”

“Hey, mom,” Kent said, reaching up to wipe his eyes. He had started tearing up the second he saw her. He let go of his carry on and wrapped his arms around her to hug her tight. “Can we go home?”

“Yes,” Lydia said, wiping her own tears from her face. “Of course, baby. I made you something to eat. And you can sleep. Or do whatever. Your friends have been coming by every day asking when you’re coming back. I said you’d call.”

Kent smiled. “Yeah, okay.”

She reached up and wiped a tear from his cheek. “You look... “ She raised her eyebrow at him. “You doing okay, baby?”

“Of course, mom. I’m glad to be home.” He picked up his bag and followed her to the car.

“Everything okay up in Canada?”

Kent had to laugh. He knew his mom was worried because of how confused he had been when she left. But everything was okay now. “Canada is good.”

“Good,” Lydia said. She got into the car and they drove home. They hit a bit of traffic, which Kent didn’t mind. There was something about being back home in New York that made him feel at ease. 

He stepped into his house and saw that his mom had put up most of the Christmas decorations. The were the same as every year, with a few few additions.

“I saved your favorites for you,” Lydia said. “The box is on the dining table.”

Kent began tearing up again. “Mom. You didn’t have to do all of that.”

“Of course I did. Now, go put your stuff in your room. I’m gonna go to heat up the food.”

Kent rushed into his room and changed out of his travel clothes and into shorts and a shirt. He walked out in time to see his mom pull food out of the microwave. He went to the fridge and grabbed a water, then his plate before heading to the couch. He looked up when his mom joined him. He smiled as they are together watching TV. They had a lot of shows to catch up on. And Kent had a little bit of decorating to do.

Kent tried to do as much as he could in the week and a half he was back in New York. It wasn’t easy, though. There were a lot of people he had to see. A lot of things he wanted to do. He only had so many hours in a day.

While he was home, he texted Jack every day. Jack mostly texted to make sure he was still playing hockey when he could. It made Kent roll his eyes, but it was such a Jack thing to do. 

 **To: Jack Z  
** (9:47 PM): Yes, Coach Zimmermann. I’ve been skating every other day.

 **From: Jack Z  
** (9:48 PM): I just want you to be ready when you fly back and we have to jump back into games.

Kent skated as often as he could for that exact reason. It would have been easy for him to just lounge around all break, but he couldn’t let something like neglecting his workout be the reason he lost his chance to play on the same line with Jack.

The only days he allowed himself to rest were Christmas Eve and Christmas. On Christmas Eve, he stayed in his pajamas all day, only changing to go to Mass at midnight. 

The next day, he helped his mom cook since they were having guests over for dinner. He Skyped his family on the West coast to thank them for the presents while trying to convince his grandma that he was eating and he’d visit her soon. He and his mom also opened their presents to each other before the guests arrived. Kent had given his mom a scarf, a cookbook, and a cookie cutter set. Kent got headphones, a new hat, and the last Harry Potter book. They knew each other so well.

Although they didn’t always host Christmas dinner, the people who usually came over for their parties showed up. Some of his mom’s friends and some of his dad’s friends came with food and gifts for him. Cadence showed up with the new pastry chef who worked at his mom’s shop.

He answered all the questions about how he was doing up in Canada. He listened as the men who served with his dad told him stories he’d heard a dozen times before. He sipped his glass of wine every now and then.

By the time everyone left and the house was cleaned up, it was almost 11.

He finally got a chance to look at his phone and saw that Jack had texted him while he was entertaining guests. It made him smile. 

 **From: Jack Z  
** (10:19 PM): You got me a rock.

Kent looked at the time and saw that Jack had sent it a little less than an hour ago. He hoped it wasn’t too late to text him back.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (11:08 PM): And paint and googly eyes. I told you you had to get crafty with it.

 **From: Jack Z  
** (11:09 PM): It’s a rock.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (11:09 PM): Pet rock.

 **From: Jack Z  
** (11:10 PM): Is this because I told you I didn’t have any pets growing up?

 **To: Jack Z  
** (11:11 PM): Yeah. You can honestly just add it to your front yard. It’s a gag gift. The second gift is more important.

 **From: Jack Z  
** (11:11 PM): Did you open your gift yet?

 **To: Jack Z  
** (11:13 PM): I have to get it from under the tree.

Kent left his room and went to the tree in the corner of the living room. He grabbed his gift from Jack and went back to his room so he could open it in private.

He sat on his bed and tore at the wrapping paper, but not after pulling off the tag to keep it. He opened the box and raised his eyebrow. “Huh,” he said as he picked up his phone.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (11:16 PM): You got me a beanie.  
(11:16 PM): Sorry. Toque.

 **From: Jack Z  
** (11:16 PM): I did.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (11:17 PM): Why purple and gray?

 **From: Jack Z  
** (11:18 PM): I’m not sure. I just saw it, and thought of you wearing it. The gray reminds me of your eyes sometimes.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (11:18 PM): Jack Zimmermann. The biggest softy in all of Canada.

 **From: Jack Z  
** (11:18 PM): Don’t tell anyone that.   
(11:19 PM): How was your Christmas?

They texted each other back and forth until Kent saw that it was after midnight. He told Jack good night so that he could get some sleep. He’d be flying back in less than twenty four hours.

He stayed up a little longer after putting the phone down to look at what Jack got him. It was soft. And fluffy. And the puff ball on top was huge. It would definitely keep his head warm in Canada. Kent woke up the next morning with the toque on his pillow.

He kept the toque out as he packed the things he had to bring back to Canada. He hated that he had to leave his mom alone. Again. It would never get any easier.

He and his mom did the same thing they did the last two times they had to leave each other. They stayed in all day, ate food, put away some decorations. He wore the toque the entire time and his mom noticed.

“Who gave you that?” Lydia asked. “Was it Uncle Gideon?”

Kent blushed. He fiddled with it, taking it off to run his fingers through his hair before putting it back on. “Um. It was… Jack, actually.”

“Jack?” Lydia said with an eyebrow raised. “Well. It looks good. I like the gray.”

Kent almost mentioned what Jack told him about the gray and his eyes, but he didn’t want to fuel whatever thoughts were going on in his mom’s head. “Mom, don’t be like that,” Kent said. “It’s just a gift.”

“And what did you get him?”

“A book,” Kent said. “And a rock.”

“I’m not gonna ask,” she said. She looked up at Kent, sitting on the couch as they took a break from cleaning up. “So, you’re both okay.” 

“I can’t really speak for Jack, but I’m good.” He wasn’t going to say anything else. He knew that his mom wouldn’t push.

“Good, baby,” Lydia said. She packed a few treats for her son, then joined him on the couch until it was time to leave.

After an early dinner, they headed to the airport. He hugged his mom and sighed. “You’re coming up for New Year’s?” he said softly as they stood near the security line.

“Of course, baby,” she said. “Cadence and Enzo can take care of the shop if I decide to keep it open.”

“I’ll see you in a few days, then,” Kent said.

“Good. So, no tears, this time.”

“There’s always tears whenever I have to leave you.”

“I left you last time, baby,” Lydia said.

“That is true,” Kent said. He kissed his mom on her forehead and smiled when she kissed him on his cheek.

“I’ll see you in a few days, baby, okay? Have a safe flight.”

Kent kissed his mom on her cheek once more before heading through security. Once he was in the waiting area at his terminal, he pulled out his phone to text Jack.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (7:17 PM) At the airport. See you in a few hours, right?

 **From: Jack Z  
** (7:19 PM) We’ll be here. Just text me when you land.

From there, the flight was quick. He grabbed his things and headed down to find Jack and the Zimmermanns waiting. He loaded his things into the back of their car and got in to find a rock between him and Jack in the backseat.

“Is that?”

Jack smiled. He turned it around so that Kent could see that it was decorated, googly eyes and all. “I named him Rocky.”

“Of course you did.” Kent couldn’t help but smile back. “I cannot believe you actually did it.”

Jack held the rock out to Kent. “It’s a pet. My first pet. And a gift. You told me to get crafty, so I did. If this is going to be my only pet for a couple of years, then I’m going to go as far as I can with it,” he said. “What do you think?”

“You gave him hair,” Kent said, running his thumb over the yarn that was glued to the top of the rock. He put the rock back down between them and buckled in. 

“Are you flying back down for New Year's?” Jack asked, buckling in.

Kent shook his head. “Mom is gonna fly up for a few days.”

Jack smiled. He reached over and was subtle as he grabbed Kent’s hand, holding it just out of view of his parents. It was loose enough that he could quickly let go if he needed to. “I guess we’ll all be spending New Year’s together then.” He gave Kent’s hand a light squeeze.

Kent looked down at their hands, then looked back up at Jack. He could feel his cheeks heating up. He nodded once. “Y-yeah,” he said. “I guess so.” He made no effort to pull his hand out of Jack’s. 

He didn’t care if they were caught or not. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been awhile, huh?

The new year was a few minutes away. The DeChambeaus, the Zimmermanns, Kent, and his mom had spend the entire day eating, drinking, and talking as it snowed outside. Konani’s friends had come cover and set off some fireworks as soon as the sun went down. After a few hours, there was a small gathering as everyone came inside for dinner. Everyone settling down after they had eaten.

Mele and the twins had gone upstairs to sleep, so the older people were the only ones awake to ring in the new year. 

Not that Kent and Jack wanted to be awake too. After the few games between Christmas and New Years, and all the practices they still had, they were having a hard time staying up.

Kent wanted to be able to hug his mom when the new year started so he did his best to stay awake as long as he could. It was easier with Jack sitting next to him. They listened to the adults talk since it was their first time all together in the same place. They were having a lot of fun in the dining room. The wine probably helped.

Kent, Jack, and Konani sat in the living room and watched whoever was performing on TV.

Then the new year was less than a minute away.

“Mom! Dad! One minute away!” Konani yelled.

Everyone gathered around as the countdown begin. Konani and Kent stood up so they could stand with their parents and watch the ball drop on the big screen TV.

They tried not to be too loud as they counted along with the rest of the people in New York City. As soon as the clock struck 0 Kent turn to his mom and hugged her as tight as he could.

“Happy New Year, mom,” said Kent.

“Happy New Year, baby,” said Lydia, kissing Kent on his cheek.

Kent’s hold on to his mom for few minutes into the new year. When he finally let go he turned around and saw that the DeChambeaus had gone upstairs to go and kiss the twins and Mele. The Zimmermanns were still hugging and kissing each other and Jack.

Kent took the opportunity to walk over to Jack and smiled at him. “Hey.”

“Happy New Year, Kenny,” Jack said.

Kent could feel himself blushing. 

There was something intimate about the way that Jack said his name. It was almost embarrassing to hear it when their parents were in the same room.

Kent turned around and saw that they were actually the only people left in the living room. Their parents had gone back into the dining room. Probably to drink more wine and continue talking.

Kent turned around and saw that Jack had stepped closer to him. He looked up and held his breath wondering just what was going to happen.

He had an idea, though.

Without saying anything else Jack reached up and cupped Kent’s cheek. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Kent's holding them there for a few seconds before pulling back. “Happy New Year, Kenny,” Jack repeated, somehow with even more fondness than before.

“Happy New Year, Zimms.”

Kent had started off 2008 with a bang.

“Is that my nickname now,” Jack asked, raising his eyebrow.

Kent smirked. “I think I'm trying it out. Do you hate it? You have to hate it.”

Jack shook his head. “I think I could grow to like it. But don't overuse it.”

Kent blushed again. They had nicknames for each other. Then again, so did most hockey players.

But no one else on the team called him Kenny. To them, he was Parse. He was perfectly fine with that.

It made Jack’s nickname for him special.

“Okay,” Kent said after a minute. “Zimms. Any New Year's Resolutions?”

“Hockey.”

Kent rolled his eyes. Just hockey. Not to play more of it. Or get better at it. Just hockey. “Yeah, okay. Fine.”

“You?”

“Not for this year,” Kent said. He wasn’t one to make resolutions, because he was never really good at keeping to them. “I just wanna get everything done. Next year, I’ll have a bunch.” Graduating, getting his license, and becoming an Eagle Scout were all things that he’d finish whether or not they were a resolution. Next year, he would have loftier goals.

Jack nodded and held his hand out in a fist. “I’m going to kiss you again later, once we head upstairs,” he said softly. 

Kent felt his cheeks warming as he bumped his fist against Jack’s.  “You sap.”

“Kent! Come drink some champagne,” his mom yelled from the other room.

Kent jumped in surprise, but settled quickly. “That’s my mom,” he said with a fond smile. 

He walked into the kitchen and saw the DeChambeaus already there and the glasses already poured out. He stood with everyone, taking in the sight of the huge family he had gained in the last six months. He picked up his glass.

He looked over and saw Jack’s hand shaking slightly as he held his own. He nudged him. “I got you, man,” he said soft enough for only Jack to hear.

“To the New Year,” Mahea said.

“To the New Year,” everyone said back. They all clinked their glasses together and drank.

Kent downed his glass quickly before switching with Jack so he could take the second glass. He coughed when the bubbles got to him.

He sucked in a breath when he felt a hand on the small of his back, which didn’t help his cough. He looked up at Jack who looked at him gratefully.

The night didn’t last long after that and everyone headed upstairs to sleep.

Jack followed Kent to his bedroom instead of going to his own.

Kent walked forward once the door shut, pining Jack against it as best as he could. It was mostly him standing in front of Jack and hoping he didn’t just step around him. 

“Kenny?” Jack asked.

“We gotta be fast. Before mom comes in,” he said.

“It’s just a kiss, Kent,” Jack said. He leaned forward and kissed Kent on his lips before pulling back.

Kent blushed, like always. He pulled Jack down to kiss him, a little deeper than the kiss a few seconds ago. He then stepped back to give Jack room. “Okay,” he said with a smile. “Okay. Go. Get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow morning.”

“We do.” Jack was about to lean over and kiss him again when there was a knock on the door. He jumped away from it.

“Baby?” Lydia said on the other side. “You decent?”

Kent ran his fingers through his hair and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as if to hide what had happened. “Yeah, mom. You can come in. Me and Jack were just talking.”

Lydia opened the door and smiled. “Hey, Jack. If you guys are gonna be up a little longer, I can sleep in another guest room,” she said. 

“Mom, no.”

“It’s okay, Mrs. Parson,” Jack said. “I figure Kent wants to spend as much time as possible with you before you leave.” He looked at Kent and smiled. “Wake me up in the morning. I’ll go with you to the airport.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I can do that.” He watched as Jack left the bedroom. 

His mom closed the door and raised her eyebrow at him. “Hey, baby.”

“Mom. Stop that. We were talking.”

“I didn’t say anything.” She climbed into Kent’s bed, tucking in under the blankets.

Kent rolled his eyes and took his shirt off to put on a sweatshirt. He kicked off his sweatpants, leaving him in his usual sleeping outfit. He climbed into the other side of the bed. He pulled the blanket up to his waist. “Mom?”

“Yes, baby?” Lydia said.

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” she said. She leaned over and kissed Kent on his temple. “Get some sleep, okay?”

Kent yawned, ready to sleep regardless of if his mom told him to. He scooted down and pulled the blanket up to his chest. He fell asleep a few minutes later. 

Lydia flew back to New York the morning. Although her shop was closed for a few more days it didn’t make sense for her to stay in Rimouski since he and Jack were going on a roadie later that day. Kent woke up early to ride with the Zimmermanns as they drove his mom to the airport.

He was sad that he didn't get a chance to spend more time with her, but he had hockey to play.

As busy as the first semester was, the second half of the season was hectic even within the first few days of the new year. On the bus, he sat with Jack as he read books for his classes that he had to finish up to graduate. Between those books, he brushed up on plays that they came up with to run during the games.

Since this was one of their longer roadies they were on the bus for much longer than usual and they would be away from home for a longer period of time.

One February night, after the last game of the roadie, the entire team stuffed into Cookie and Deg’s room so they could watch the announcement of who the Q chose to host the Memorial Cup next year. 

The president of the CHL came onto a screen and stood behind the podium with the CHL logo plastered on the front. The president of the QJMHL stood off to the side and handed him an envelope.

The president read from a teleprompter for a few minutes as he spoke about the bids he received. Kent wasn’t sure which other teams were finalists, but he saw that Rimouski was one of the top three.

Finally, the president opened the envelope. “I am grateful to our national Site Selection Committee. They were challenged with the decision of choosing between three bids, each of them were outstanding.” He paused to look at the card in the envelope. He pulled it out and held it up. Then he smiled. “On behalf of the CHL, the league looks forward to working with the City of Rimouski and the Rimouski Océanic for the 2009 Memorial Cup.”

The team took a moment to see their name put on the screen to make sure they heard correctly. Then they broke out into cheers.

“Holy shit,” Kent said. He looked over at Jack who stared at the screen. “J-Jack?” he said soft but loud enough that only Jack could hear him. Their teammates were still cheering.

“We’re hosting.”

“Yeah.”

“Why… why would they choose us?”

“I don’t know.” Kent nudged him trying to bring him back. He needed Jack to focus for just a second. Just long enough for Kent to get him away from everyone. “Back to the room?”

Jack nodded. He stood up and left the room without saying anything.

“Is he okay?” Cookie asked, walking over after Jack walked out.

“Yeah,” Kent lied. “He had to call his dad.”

“Well, go check on him,” Cookie said. “The guys are gonna be like this all night.”

Kent stood up and gave a fist bump to Cookie. “I’ll probably be back later.” Another lie.

He waved to the guys before leaving. He entered his room and saw the bathroom light on. “Jack,” he said softly, tapping on the door. “I’m here. Just so you don’t freak out when you see me.”

He then walked to his bed and plopped down.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Jack stepped out.

Kent sat up to look at him. “You okay?”

Jack walked up to Kent and grabbed him by the arm to pull him to his feet. He pushed him up against the nearest wall, then leaned forward to kiss him.

Kent let out a surprised sound, but kissed Jack back. He had no idea what was going on, but he knew Jack needed this.

A few minutes later, Jack pulled back. “S-sorry,” he said, stepping back to put some space between them.

Kent shook his head. “Don’t…” He bit his lip to stop himself from talking. He had to tread lightly. “Do you wanna tell me what that was about?” The walking out. The kiss. Any of it. 

“They chose us,” Jack said softly. 

“You said that earlier,” Kent said. “What are you talking about?”

“They… the president. The league. They chose us. Our team. They chose us to host.”

“That’s good, right?”

Jack dragged his hand down his face. He sat on Kent’s bed. “I… it means they think that we…”

“Jack, it’s not good to try and figure out what they think. It’ll only drive you crazy,” he said. He sat down next to him.

“They think we’re gonna do something next year.”

“Are they wrong?”

“They can’t know what we’ll do in a year.”

“We?” Kent asked. This was the first time Jack came remotely close to acknowledging if he was declaring for the draft.

Jack shook his head. “It means a guarantee that the team will be playing for the Memorial Cup next year.”

“That sounds like a good thing, if you ask me.” It took the pressure off of them, didn’t it?

“It might not be,” he said.

“That’s a year away, Jack,” Kent said. 

“Yeah. You’re right.” Jack brought a hand up to rub his eyes.

Kent didn’t know what to do. He knew that Jack would dwell on this if he didn’t do something. “I have another history thing I have to watch for class, if you wanna join me.” He was tired, but he could stay up to make sure Jack was okay.

Jack let out a short laugh and ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah. I might have to call dad later, but let’s start it now before it gets too late.”

Kent went to grab his laptop while Jack grabbed his phone and set it on the nightstand between their beds.

Kent hoped this dumb movie was enough to get Jack in a better mood and get his mind off of everything for just one night.

It worked.

The team reacted better to the announcement. They played their next few games with something to prove. They wanted the leagues to know that the league’s choice was a good one.

For the most part their games were going well. They had rocketed into the top five teams in the league with their winning streaks. Kent knew their standings had something to do with the way that he and Jack played together on the first line.

The seasons wrapped up after Booth returned to the team and was put on the third line. Even though he didn’t play a lot this season, he still had scouts coming to talk to him. But Booth wasn’t the only one. Krush, Cookie, Washer, and everyone but the rookies, minus Jack, had scouts coming to talk to them.

As the days went on Kent couldn't help but wonder if Jack was going to declare for the league draft this year. He had to hear about it soon, but for the most part Jack stayed quiet.

Apparently, Jack just wanted to focus on the season at hand.

Kent thought that Jack’s silence meant he was definitely declaring. Kent figured Jack wanted his parents to be the first to know before telling Kent and the rest of the team. But, between games, Jack would sit on his bed and they would watch as hockey analysts spoke about the players contemplating the draft that year. Jack's name rarely came up.

It surprised Kent how much Jack didn’t react to any of it. That meant Jack made a decision already, right?

Or, Kent could’ve been reaching. Which was completely possible.

Kent knew better than to bring any of it up. All he could do was wait.

Before Kent realized it, the team had their last game of the regular season. They were playing the Screaming Eagles for the fourth and final time. 

Kent never said anything, but he noticed how Jack acted every time they played each other. He acted differently than when they played any other team in the league. Kent was sure it had to do with the party incident. Even after months, Jack still never told him what exactly happened while he was in the kitchen with Keats.

The night before the game, instead of focusing on the game plan and going over ways to finally beat them, Jack wanted to watch a movie. And not a history movie, like they usually watched from the comfort of Kent’s bed. A regular, action movie.

As Jack changed the DVD, it hit Kent that tomorrow could be the last regular season game he’d ever play with Jack. “You’re declaring, aren’t you?” he said softly.

Kent looked at Jack and waited for a response. “What?”

“Declaring. You.”

“I don’t think so?”

“Why don’t you sound sure? And why not? You’re ready,” Kent said. 

“Dad says I could benefit from one more year with Rimouski,” Jack replied. He sat back and handed Kent the popcorn.

“And what do you think?” Kent asked, taking a handful and shoving it into his mouth.

“I didn’t play my best hockey this season,” Jack replied, taking a handful of popcorn himself.

Kent frowned and furrowed his brow. He swallowed the popcorn and immediately regretted it since he choked on a few of the pieces. Jack quickly reached up and patted him on his back to help him out. He looked over at Jack, wiping his mouth. “Thanks.” He grabbed the bottle of water next to his bed and drank half of it down. “Of course you played your best.” He knew that Jack was good, but watching and playing with him the entire season showed just how good he was. Jack had to be in the NHL next year. “You’ve been improving every day, right?”

“Kent.”

“No,” Kent said. “I mean it, Jack. You’re badass. I was there.” For everything. “You're a rookie and you were top two on our team. You need to be in the NHL.”

“You know, it kind of sounds like you’re trying to get rid of me.”

Kent’s eyes went wide. “I’m not. Jack, I’m not.”

“I know, Kenny,” Jack said with a smile. “I was just giving you a hard time.” He picked up his own water and took a sip. “But, I stand by what I said. I wasn’t at my best all season.”

Kent’s frown deepened. He still had no idea what Jack was talking about. He wasn’t injured all season. He never scratched. “When?”

It took a moment. The moment was long enough for Kent to think he saw Jack’s cheeks turn a bit pink. “When you weren’t on my line,” he said softly.

Oh.

“Oh.”

“I was better when we were on the same line. We worked.”

“Jack,” Kent said with a forced laugh. “You have that chemistry with anybody.”

“You’re not anybody, Kenny,” Jack said. He turned his head to look at Kent. He smiled, reaching up to brush his fingers through Kent’s cowlick. “I think it’d be good for me to play one more year in the Q. With you.”

“I could get traded,” Kent said. 

“You really think that’s gonna happen?”

“I don’t know.” He hoped not. Now that he knew Jack was staying, he really wanted to play with him one more year.

“The coaches aren’t gonna let you go. Especially since they’ve seen how good we are together.”

Kent laughed, this time a genuine one. “We’re kinda badass together, aren't we?”

Jack smiled. “Just kinda.” He leaned over and kissed Kent on his cheek. “Don’t let it go to your head, Kenny.”

It was Kent’s turn to blush. “Of course not,” Kent said. He sat back to watch the rest of the movie. “Do…” He said before the movie started up again. “Are you staying because of me?”

Jack stayed silent for a moment. “No,” he said. “I’m not.”

“Because of you then,” Kent said. He looked at Jack and saw that that may not have been the entire truth.

“Of course.”

“So, next season,” Kent said.

“What about it?” Jack asked.

“What are we gonna do?”

“Play hockey.”

Kent rolled his eyes and pushed Jack. “Come on, man. You know what I’m really asking.”

“We’re gonna win. A lot. And that’s all I can say right now.”

“Yeah. That sounds good to me,” he said. He let out a squeak when Jack pulled him close and pressed their lips together. He pulled back when Jack let him go. “Warning next time?”

“Maybe.”

Kent sighed softly. “That was nice, though.” 

Jack smiled and kissed Kent on his nose. “Okay,” he said. “Start the movie. We can’t stay up too late. We have a big game tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Kent said with a smile. He reached over and pressed play. He needed a bit of a distraction, They had an important game tomorrow. He didn’t want to let Jack down.

Kent fell asleep a little more than halfway through the movie. He woke up when he felt Jack shaking him. “Huh, what now?”

“Movie’s done,” Jack said. “I’m gonna head to bed. Lie down and get some sleep.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Kent said as he moved into a horizontal position. He stretched and let out a yawn before settling under his blanket. He watched as Jack put away the laptop and grabbed the popcorn bowl. “Thanks for cleaning up.”

“You don’t look like you’re getting out of bed any time soon.”

“I’m not,” Kent said with a smile. “I think this is the first time I’m gonna get to bed before you.”

“Probably,” Jack said. “Still have a little more tape to watch before I head to bed.”

“Jack,” Kent complained. “Come on. We’ve already played them three times.”

“And we’ve lost to them each time.”

Kent rolled his eyes. “Just go to sleep, man. I’ll watch tape with you tomorrow.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah. Scout’s honor.”

Jack leaned over and kissed Kent on his lips. “Night, Kenny.”

“Night, Zimms. Don’t wake me up for your run.”

Jack had to laugh. “I won’t,” he said. He gathered all his things then headed out the door, turning off the light before shutting the door behind him.

Kent stayed up long enough to text his mom before he finally passed out. 

Mele woke him up for breakfast the next morning. 

Kent headed downstairs and had breakfast with the Zimmermanns and DeChambeaus. This was the last family breakfast of the regular season.

He hated thinking that way.

But the end of the hockey season was close.

And if the end of the season was close, it meant that he’d be back in New York soon. With is mom. But away from Jack.

After breakfast, Jack tapped Kent on the arm and they went into the living room to watch tapes of their previous games against the Screaming Eagles. They were able to watch the two most recent games before they had to get ready to head to the arena.

Jack made his sandwiches.

Kent ate his yellow Starbursts and started his playlist.

They packed their things and themselves into a car.

They walked into the arena together and headed to the locker room. Their teammates knew better than to bother Jack when he was doing his pregame.

Kent always stayed near Jack, so no one bothered him until he took his headphones out of his ears.

Once they were dressed, their coaches came in and announced the lineup. Like it had been for the last few months, Jack and Kent were on the first line together.

The team stood up so they could walk out. As it had been since their streaks started, Kent and Jack were the last two out. Kent watched Jack as he stood in the middle of the locker room, just taking everything in.

“Last game of the regular season,” Kent said.

“Then the playoffs. And then the Memorial Cup,” Jack said, trying to make it sound like a promise.

“Then the summer.”

“A busy summer.”

If that wasn’t the understatement of the year. Kent didn’t even want to think about all the things he had to deal with once he summer came rolling around. “Yeah.” He looked up when the locker room door opened and Coach Brassard peeked in. “We’ll be right there, coach,” he said. He looked to Jack once the door shut again. “We got this?”

Jack smiled at him. “We got this,” he replied.

Kent wanted it to mean more than just the game. They’d be going through a lot together over the summer. Especially if Kent decided to declare. Training camps, draft combines, and anything else the NHL asked of them before they could break in.

Since Jack wasn’t going to be in the NHL next year, Kent wouldn’t be alone.

“Awesome,” he said. He led the way to the door so they could head out to the ice. 

“And, hey. Kenny?” Jack said, walking down the hall after Kent.

“What’s up?” Kent asked before they stepped out onto the ice.

“Stay away from Keats. Don’t let him do his Keats thing and let him get into your head.”

“Why not? I like Keats. And he doesn’t really mess with my game.”

“Like him?”

Of all the things for Jack to focus on. “Oh, come on. Jealous?”

“Don’t,” Jack warned. It was difficult for Kent to determine if it was his ‘I’m upset with you’ voice or his ‘it’s game time and this is serious’ voice. 

With Kent’s luck it was probably both.

“I don’t like him the way I like you,” he said, trying to reassure Jack.

“Kent,” he said, skating onto the ice and into his usual area where he went through his stretches. “I already told you,” he said softly.

Kent plopped down next to him. “I know, I know. We’re not that kind of… whatever. We’re just teammates.” He leaned into Jack so no one could hear him. “We’re just teammates who kiss. It’s fine. I get it.”

“Hey, what are we talking about?” Keats said, sitting on the other side of the ice.

“Kent,” Jack said before Kent could say anything. 

“I can’t talk to you, right now,” Kent said. “After the game.”

Keats nodded, not pushing it. “Okay. I’ll see you two after the game. Don’t kick our ass too hard, ‘kay?” He then got up and skated away. 

They lined up for warmups, then stood next to each other through the anthem.

Then the game started. Kent didn’t know what happened, but him and Jack played liked men possessed. In the first period, the two of them split three goals. Apparently watching tape worked.

Jack scored one more goal in the second. Kent added one more in the third. 

Coach Gallagher sat their line the last half of the third period, not wanting to risk an injury before playoffs.

Kent appreciated that the rest of the team still played like they were down. The score at the end of the game wasn’t even close.

Kent felt like they were ready for a good, long playoff run.

The teams lined up to shake hands. Kent stayed near the back with Jack and Cookie. The handshakes took longer to get through as the players had a lot of things to say to Kent.

In French.

Kent assumed they were good things since most of them had smiles on their faces.  

Finally, they got to Keats. “Good game,” Keats said with a huge grin on his face. “You two. Fuck.”

“What?” Kent said.

“We’ll talk after,” Keats said with a wink.

“What?”

“Keep moving, Kent,” Jack said, pushing Kent forward. “We have to get back.”

“Good game, Jackary!”

Kent bit his lip to keep from laughing. “Jackary?”

“Shut up. Go shower up.”

“So bossy.”

At the end of the line, Kent shook the Screaming Eagles’ coaches’ hands. He blushed as they complimented his play. They probably didn’t notice because he was sweaty and lingering on the ice.

But, still.

The compliments about his game were almost too much.

He tried to say that it was mostly Jack’s doing and that playing with him made him better. The coaches didn’t let him downplay his own skills.

“Your assists to Mr. Zimmermann are just as needed as the goals off his stick,” their head coach said. “Playmakers are important, Mr. Parson.”

Kent nodded dumbly. He knew they were, but he always thought that between him and Jack, Jack was the playmaker. Apparently he was mistaken. “Th-thank you,” he said.

“I can’t wait to see what you do next year.”

“Thank you, sir,” Kent said again.

Kent then skated away and to the locker room. He showered and waited for Jack to finish up. The two of them walked out of the locker room and saw Keats waiting. “Hi,” Kent said.

“So, will I see the two of you in the draft?”

Kent immediately shook his head. He hadn’t even thought about declaring. He felt like he didn’t make enough of an impact in the league for scouts to notice him. “Not me.” Maybe in a year or two he’d be ready.

“Jack?”

“Me neither,” he answered.

“Oh, really?”

“I think there’s a little more I want to do in this league. A lot more I can work on.”

“With him at your side?”

Kent looked up at Jack. He figured that Keats and Jack were having a moment and Kent didn’t want to intrude on it. But Keats had turned the attention on him.

Jack looked at Kent, their eyes meeting. He nodded. “Yeah. With Kent at my side.”

Keats looked back and forth between the two of them with his eyebrow raised. “Okay then,” he said with a smile. “Well, I guess I gotta tell the guys to expect you two to show up in the tournament.”

“Scared, Keats?” Kent asked with a smirk.

“You guys outscored us seven to two. Of course I’m scared. And I say you guys because I’m pretty sure it was just the two of you scoring on us. Thanks.”

“You are more than welcome,” Kent said with a smile. “So, you got any hints on how to survive the President’s Cup?”

“Don’t face us in the first round?”

“Come on, Kent,” Jack said, rolling his eyes. “He’s not going to help the enemy.”

“Aw, we’re friends. I thought we were friends. We’re friends, right? Kentworth? Jackary?”

“In the off season,” Jack said. “Kent. Come on.”

“You guys don’t want to hang out?”

Kent looked at Jack. “We aren’t really good at parties.”

“Who said it had to be a party?” Keats asked. “Come on. It was the last game of the season. You whooped our asses. You gotta celebrate that.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look so happy to get his ass kicked.”

“Come on. Please…” Keats said, trying to put on a puppy face. “I saw your mom and dad, Jack. I haven’t seen them in forever. I have so many jokes I gotta tell your dad.”

“Keats,” Jack said.

“Fine. Five jokes. I’ll limit it to five. Please? We’re not driving back until tomorrow morning. The guys are all going to Teddy Bare’s house. We don’t have to go. I just wanna hang out. We don’t have to be enemies tonight.”

“You really gonna make him beg?” Kent asked Jack.

Jack adjusted his bag and sighed. “Five jokes,” he said. “I mean it, Keats. I don’t need dad repeating terrible jokes all summer.”

“Okay. I’m gonna tell coach where I’m heading. This’ll be fun. I’ll be back. Don’t leave. And my jokes aren’t terrible,” Keats yelled as he disappeared down the hall toward the visitor locker room.

“That guy sure is something,” Kent laughed. “But he seems like he means well.”

“He does,” Jack said. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder. “He reminds me of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was… he stood up for me a lot when we played together.”

“Did you do a lot of things that people need to stand up for you for?”

“Huh?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Most of the time it wasn’t me. It was… about my parents.”

Kent frowned. Thinking back to the first party they went to, he wondered if what the guy had said to Jack had to do with him, or his parents. Or both.

“Jack?”

“Yeah, Kenny?”

“Um…” He sighed, trying to figure out what he as trying to say. “I’m always gonna protect you, you know?” he said. “I know it doesn’t mean much, but…”

Jack reached over and grabbed Kent’s arm. He squeezed it gently. “Hey,” he said. “You don’t have to do that. But I know I can’t really tell you what to do. So… thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Kent said with a smile. He knew that in any other place but a hallway in the arena, the moment would’ve ended with a kiss, but they weren’t alone.

And they weren’t that kind of a couple.

He was about to say something when Keats came running back. He fixed his hat and smiled. “Okay. Coach said it’s cool if I go to dinner with you guys. So, what did I miss?”

“You were gone for like three minutes.”

“Hey, that’s long enough for people to fall in love, you know.” Keats looked over and saw both of them blushing. “Not that I’m saying that’s what you guys did. I’m just saying a lot can happen in a few minutes.” He stood between the two of them and threw his arms over their shoulders. “Come on. I could use a coffee and maybe I can get the two of you to spill your secrets so we can beat you guys the next time we play.”

“We’re not spilling any secrets,” he two of them said.

“Seriously. Twins,” Keats said. 

The three of them made it to the entrance of the arena and saw Bob and Alicia waiting.

“Leeesh!” Keats said happily. “Mr. Leesh!”

“Keats,” Alicia said with a smile. “Are you joining us for dinner?”

“If that’s cool. I mean, I kinda invited myself to hang out with these two. But it was mostly to see the two of you. How have you been?” he moved between the Zimmermanns and walked out of the arena, leaving Jack and Kent behind.

“Well. That was…” Kent said, watching the three of them get further and further away.

“Keats is… just being himself. He could be playing in the NHL next year.”

“God, help whoever is crazy enough to draft him.”

“He’s a good player,” Jack said. “How he is during game time is different from…” All Jack could do was gesture to his friend talking to his parents. 

“Yeah. I know. But he’s still weird.”

“He always has been,” Jack said. “People are really confused when they learn he isn’t a goalie. We don’t tell people that that’s what he started as.”

“What changed?”

“He wanted to hit people.”

Kent laughed and shook his head. That made complete sense to him. “He’s good at that.” He looked forward and saw that Jack’s parents and Keats were already near the car. “Well, we should head out.”

“Wait.”

“What?”

Jack looked at Kent and smiled. “You played well today,” he said.

“You too.” Three goals and two assists for Jack Zimmermann to close out the season? He couldn’t wait to see what Jack was planning to do in playoffs.

“No, I just…” Jack looked around and saw that there was no one near them and heard no one heading in their direction. He leaned forward. He kissed Kent on his lips, then pulled away.

“Oh.”

“Okay. Let’s go,” Jack said. “They’re probably waiting for us.”

Kent stood there for a second, frozen. It always gave Kent a little bit of whiplash how easily Jack could go from kissing him like that to moving on like the kiss never happened.

But, like he said. They’re just teammates who kissed.

He jogged up to Jack to catch up with him and they saw Bob and Alicia laughing at something Keats had said. “How many jokes do you think he’s already told him?”

“Too many,” Jack said.

Kent laughed. “I’m sorry, man. That’s your friend.” He reached up and clapped a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I’ll do my best at damage control.” He looked at Jack and saw that even if he was annoyed he still looked at Keats fondly.

It was the least stressed Jack had looked in weeks.

He hoped it carried into playoffs.

They had a Cup run to make. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> One of my resolutions is to be more consistent with my chapters.

Their teammates were split on Jack’s decision to stay in the Q one more year. Some of them were surprised, because they felt, like Kent, that Jack was ready to break in. The other half was stoked because it meant that Jack would be playing with them again. Since they were hosting, they had a shot at the cup next year.

A really good shot.

That didn’t meant they wanted to talk about next year now. The team wanted to focus on the upcoming round of games. They were playing a series now. It was different playing the same team at least four games in a row.

This meant they watched a lot of tape on their opponent. Some games where they played against them, but most were between other teams.

They talked about matchups and plays. They analyzed their goalies.

They knew more about the other team than they probably needed to know.

It was good, though because the day of their first game they were ready. They stepped on the ice with confidence. It helped that they were the higher seed.

Regardless of the seed, the boys were going to play their game. The first game was going to set the tone for the rest of the series.

It wasn’t a surprise when the game turned out to be a little more chippy than the ones in the regular season. What came with the chippiness were cheap shots. Too many cheap shots. Most were caught by the refs, but they couldn’t catch everything. Like Kent getting cross checked for the third time in a game without the refs blowing a whistle.

Kent was never one to drop gloves. He would've rather just beat them on the scoreboard, which they were actually doing. So he was okay with getting hit a few times. It didn’t matter to him because he continued to get the puck where he needed it to go. 

That made the other team mad.

Before he knew it, he was up against the boards even though he wasn’t making a play on the puck. Then Jack was pulling the guy off of him and pushing him against the boards.

Jack wasn’t dumb enough to get into a fight when it wasn’t allowed, but Kent saw that Jack looked ready to do just that. He heard him growl and lean in close enough to say something to the other guy. in a threatening tone. And in French.

The guy said something back to Jack. In French. It made Jack back away, but he still held onto the guy’s jersey. The guy slapped Jack’s hand away and glared at Kent. “Check your boy.”

Kent just stared at him. He really hated not being able to understand when they would slip into French. “What are you talking about?”

Jack grabbed Kent and skated toward the bench.

Kent sat and watched as the other player was given a penalty. He looked over at Jack who was glaring at the ice. “Did that guy say something?” he asked. Obviously the guy did, but he wanted Jack to tell him exactly what he said.

“No, why?”

“You hit him. Like… not really hit him, but you—”

“Worry about your own game, Kent,” Jack said with a growl. 

Kent backed off. And he worried about his own game, because that was all Kent could do. They had one more period left and even though they were already up a goal, they wanted to make a statement.

So, they did. By scoring two more goals and beating the other team by three.

While the team was happy for the win, there was one person that was unhappy. Kent saw Jack brooding and frowning the entire night, which didn’t make sense. They won. With ease. He decided to wait until they were back home to talk to Jack.

Once there, Kent went straight to Jack’s room and shut the door. “Okay. So. I know you’re probably not gonna answer this, but what the hell was that in the second?” Kent asked, his voice soft. They couldn’t be too loud since the Zimmermanns and DeChambeaus would be able to hear them.

“What are you talking about?”

“Jack,” Kent said with a sigh. He could have easily let it go, but he wasn’t going to. They needed to talk because Jack getting in that guy’s face was not something he usually did. .

Jack sighed. “You shouldn’t let those guys push you around just because you’re small.”

Kent stared at Jack. “It’s hockey. You get pushed around too.”

“But not the way they push you around.”

“I’m small,” Kent countered.

“I know that. But we’re playing those guys three more times. And if they keep coming at you like that—”

“I’ve survived this long,” Kent interrupted. He was faster than almost anyone on the ice. Usually he was able to skate away from anyone and everyone who would cause him trouble. But it was harder when he couldn’t seen someone coming from behind.

“One day some asshole is gonna get a cheap shot in. And then what?”

“I’m assuming someone is gonna drop their gloves for me,” he said with a shrug.

“It won’t be me.”

Kent frowned. “I didn’t say it would be you.”

“We won’t always be on the same line, you know,” Jack said. 

“I know that,” Kent said. “We won’t even be on the same team after next season.” Saying that out loud made Kent’s stomach. “Kinda scary to think about.”

“It is. But don’t think about that now,” Jack said. He walked up to Kent and brushed his fingers through his hair before kissing him on his lips. “We have a tournament to win.”

Kent nodded. “Yeah, we do.” He kissed Jack for a second before pulling back. “I should head to bed,” he said. “You too.” The tournament was a quick turn around. They had to play them again tomorrow. 

“Go text your mom.” 

Kent smiled. Jack definitely knew him so well. One more kiss and he was on his way to his room. He sent his mom a text, then went to sleep.

The second game went much like the first. People still sent a few cheap shots his way, but this time, there were other people on his line that stood up for him.

Then came the first away game of the series. Home ice helped the other team, but not enough. Jack and Kent were able to pull out a win by one goal.

Everyone passed out early because they had another game in less than 24 hours.

The next, and hopefully last, game of the series was terrible. The other team played like they had nothing to lose, which made the way they played on the ice reckless.

Jack and Kent usually got in the way of those reckless plays. Luckily, they were able to capitalize on it.

Unfortunately, the other team kept the game close, but they were never able to take the lead. In the last period, Jack and Kent tried their best to seal the game with one more goal.

Kent had taken the puck from one of the defenders and had broke down the ice. He didn’t even have to look to know that Jack was skating with him. He looked up and saw that a defenders had skated back, but Jack and Kent still had space.

He saw an opening when a defender tried to cheat toward him and cut off a lane, but Kent was already passing the puck.

Jack was already setting up to take the shot.

The second defender came from the side, lifting his stick for a slash. He was definitely aiming for a stick so that he could disrupt Jack’s shot.

But Jack was too fast.

And the slash ended up on his wrist instead.

Jack immediately dropped his stick and swore. Loudly.

The gasps in the stands were louder.

Kent immediately skated to the guy and pushed him with as much force as he could. If he could throw a punch he would have, but he was more concerned with Jack skating toward the bench, holding his wrist.

“Jack?” he yelled, skating after him. He got to the bench and watched as Jack was led toward the locker rooms. 

He wanted to go after him, but he had to stay on the bench. They still had a game to win. 

He did his best without Jack skating next to him. It was enough since they won. His teammates couldn’t blame him for being reluctant to shake hands with the other team. He wanted to check on Jack.

Kent wanted to be happy and to call the first round successful since the team actually made it out of it. It was easy enough. They swept which meant they had a break before the next round since their opponent was still playing. He wanted to focus on the good things this series.

Then they told him about what was going on with Jack. The slash fractured Jack’s wrist. He couldn’t play for weeks. That was a blow for team morale.

Kent was upset about it. Jack was pissed. The entire ride back home, Jack didn’t say anything to his teammates, to his coaches, or to Kent.

The only person Jack talked to was his dad and that conversation did not sound pleasant. Jack was angry enough that he didn’t even say good night before he went to sleep. He didn’t say anything to Kent until the next morning. 

The first practice after that game, Kent sat next to Jack and listened as the coaches put together new line ups. Jack wasn’t going to play the next round.

Jack didn’t care what the doctors and trainers said, he was going to play. He kept trying to convince the coaches that he could, but they would not let him since his wrist was in a cast.

More than once, Kent saw Jack yelling at his dad in French while Bob did his best to placate his son. Whatever Bob said was not enough to calm Jack down. Kent couldn't focus too much on Jack, though. He had to focus on his game.

The team had to move on in the tournament without Jack. They had to hold down the fort long enough for Jack to make his way back.

But, with the fracture, it seemed unlikely.

Jack didn’t listen to anyone. He argued that he could take something for the pain, play, then rest enough between games.

Kent tried to stay out of it. It wasn’t easy because of how often Jack would come into his or their room at night, shaking. And he would never say a word.

Kent understood Jack’s frustration. Jack was hockey. If he couldn’t play it, especially being surrounded by it, then what was he supposed to do? All Kent could do was pull Jack to the nearest bed and hold him until he either calmed down or fell asleep. It always took some time.

The second round came, and Jack was still on IR.

They won the first game with their second center on their first line. Kent thought that it meant that the momentum would carry for three more games. The rest of the team felt the same way.

The second game in the series was close. It came down to a goal in the last minute. Which tied the series 1-1.

The third game, they were blown out. Home ice was an advantage for the other team. After the game, Kent could see that Jack was itching to get back on the ice, but he going to any time soon.

The team just needed to keep it together a little longer.

They did a little better the second game on away ice. Kent got three assists, getting a point on every goal the team made. They only lost by two.

Jack didn’t say a word to him after the game. He just left with his parents, got to the room, showered, and slept. Kent did his best not to disturb Jack when he got back to the hotel room.

Luckily, the next game for them was back on home ice. Hopefully the advantage would work for them.

The night before their game, he went out to dinner with the DeChambeaus and Zimmermanns. A new restaurant had opened and Konani wanted to try it out. Kent was grateful to be able to get out of the house for a few hours. He was getting swamped with school and his service project to become an Eagle Scout. He needed to not thing about hockey or school or scouts. He wanted to focus on the moment in front of him.

The food was good. The conversation was fun. It was nice to relax and enjoy the time with the people who had become his family. 

The relaxation and calm ended as soon as Kent got into the privacy of his room. He felt the worry creeping in and it made him want to call his mom. He sighed as he curled up and waited for his mom to answer.

“Baby, shouldn’t you be asleep?”

Kent smiled. “Soon, mom. Just… wanted to talk.”

“You doing okay?”

“Just… nerves. Jack isn’t playing and if we lose tomorrow, we go home. Which doesn’t sound bad because I get to see you. I’m just not ready to go home yet.”

“Baby, it’s fine,” she said with a smile. Her son would always ramble when he was nervous. “Just do what you can. Whether you win or lose, just make sure you leave the ice with no doubts.”

Kent sighed and rubbed his belly. The nerves were making his stomach upset. “I’d feel better if you were here. Or if Jack were playing. But…”

“It’s how the cards fell. You just gotta do your best. Whether I see you in a week or in a month, I want you to know I’m so proud of you.”

“You say that all the time.”

“I mean it every time,” Lydia said.

“I could really use one of your hugs, right now.”

“I could really give you one of them.” Lydia paused to handle something on her end. “Besides hockey, everything okay?”

“Yeah. A bit of studying when I can. And email a bunch of people about the service project. And Team USA keeps trying to talk to me. And sleeping. A lot of sleeping” He frowned when his stomach made a sound that it never usually made. He ignored it so he could finish talking to his mom. “Everything going okay at the shop?”

“Of course. Trying out some new recipes. People want me to start working on a new cookbook.”

“Yeah? That’s awesome.”

“So, this summer, don’t be mad if I use you as my guinea pig.”

“Of course, mom. That’s what my iron stomach is for,” he said with a laugh. The same stomach that was making him feel nauseous. He had to blame it on the importance of tomorrow’s game.

“Baby,” Lydia said. “I’m not gonna tell you not to worry about it, because I know it won’t help. I just want you to do your best, okay?”

“I will, mom,” Kent said. He rolled over when he heard a soft knock on the door. “Mom, I gotta go. I love you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“I love you, baby. Do great.”

Kent smiled and hung up the phone. He sat up rubbing his belly. “Come in,” he called. Jack was on the other side. “Hey,” he said. He bit back a groan as the nausea picked up a bit. 

“You okay?” Jack asked.

“Nerves. Needed to talk to someone about them,” he said. 

“Your mom?”

“Yeah.” Jack stood in the doorway. “You gonna come in or you gonna just stand out there like a weirdo?”

Jack stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. He stayed near the door. “So,” he said softly. “Big game tomorrow.”

“I know. Please, don’t remind me.” Like he could forget. It was hard playing without Jack on the ice with him. Now he had to deal with the pressure of an elimination game.

“I can’t have you being nervous about this,” Jack said. He reached down to rub his casted wrist with his good hand.

“I am, though,” Kent said. “It’s a big game, and I can’t just forget that it’s win or go home.” With Jack adding this extra pressure on him, it made his stomach turn even more.

“Kent.”

“And you’re not playing. You can’t even suit up.”

“You think I don’t want to play?” Jack said, taking the few steps from the door to stand right in front of Kent. 

Kent would’ve stood up if moving didn’t make him feel like throwing up. “I never said that.”

“I’d suit up if I could, but I can’t.”

“I know that,” Kent said. He hated how much Jack was towering over him. He had to stand up. “But it doesn’t change the fact that this game would be a hundred times easier if you were playing.”

“I don’t need you making me feel guilty for not playing,” Jack growled. 

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

“Sounds like it.”

Kent let out a sigh and sat back down on the edge of his bed. “Did you just come here to fight?”

Jack shook his head. “No,” he said. “I wanted to tell you good night.” He stared at Kent as if he was trying to decide what he wanted to do next. “Good night, Kent.”

“Good night, Jack.”

He watched Jack walk out. It was the first time for as long as he could remember that Jack didn’t kiss him before they went to sleep. He didn’t dwell on it. He sent his mom a goodnight text before sliding under the blankets so he could sleep. 

He wasn’t sure how long he was asleep before he was sitting up on his bed with his mouth watering. That was never good news.

He ran to the door, tore it open, and ran to the nearest bathroom. He turned on the light, knelt in front of the toilet, and threw up. He stayed kneeling for a few minutes, hoping that was the end of it.

He stood up, flushed the toilet, washed his hands and mouth, then walked back to his room. He felt better after that little episode. He laid down, chalking it up to nerves.

He was okay for about ten minutes before he was sprinting to the bathroom again. It lasted a little longer than the first wave. 

He tried to move and his mouth watered again. He threw up a few minutes later.

This was definitely not good.

“Fuck,” he whispered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“Kent?”

Kent looked up and saw Konani and Alicia standing in the doorway. “Sorry. I should’ve closed the door.”

“You okay?” Konani asked.

Kent could only shake his head. He couldn’t exactly lie while he was kneeling in front of a toilet, ready to throw up again. “I feel like I’m dying,” he said. 

Alicia stepped around Konani and knelt down next to Kent. “What’s happening?” she asked, brushing his hair out of his face.

“I… I think I ate something bad. I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I just… I think I need some water and I’ll be okay.”

Alicia put the back of her hand to Kent’s cheek, then forehead. “Oh, sweetie,” she said with a frown. “You have a fever.”

Kent’s eyes went wide and he shook his head again. Fevers were definitely bad. Fevers mean not being able to get on the ice in a few hours. “No, no. I’m fine. I’m fine.”

“How long has this been going on?” she asked as she pulled her hand away from his forehead.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Not even an hour? Maybe?”

“Do you think you can move?”

Kent smiled softly. “Yeah. But I’ll probably be running back here in the next fifteen minutes.” He could feel that his stomach had not settled yet. He adjusted to take some of his weight off his knees. “You don’t have to stay.”

“Hush. I have to make sure you’re okay.”

Kent sighed, but nodded. He looked up when he heard new voices around him. He saw Jack and Bob standing in the hallway. “Jack looks mad,” he said softly.

“Don’t worry about him, okay?” Alicia reached down and rubbed his back to calm him down.

“<<Will he be able to play tomorrow?>>” Jack asked his dad.

“<<I don’t think so, Jack,>>” Bob replied. 

Jack’s brow furrowed. “<<He has to play.>>”

“<<He can barely stand, right now. He’s probably dehydrated. He hasn’t slept yet,>>” Bob said with a sigh. “<<It doesn’t seem likely that he’s going to play tomorrow.>>” 

“What are they talking about?” Kent asked Alicia. He couldn’t really hear them, but he could tell that she could. And she could understand what they were saying.

“I’m not sure,” she said softly. She kept moving her hand on Kent’s back.

“Jack sounds mad.”

“He’s grumpy. He hasn’t gotten enough sleep.” Kent knew she was lying, but it was just so nice and sweet sounding.

“He can go back to sleep,” Kent said. 

“He’s worried about you,” Alicia said with a soft smile on her face. “I’m sure if the situations were reversed, no one would be able to pull you away from Jack if you thought he was hurt.”

Kent let out a laugh. “You got me there,” he said. He sat up and rested his hand on his belly. “I feel bad for waking everyone up.”

“Don’t. You can’t help it.” She pressed the back of her hand to Kent’s forehead to make sure it wasn’t something else. “I think it’s food poisoning.”

“This is kinda turning me off of salads for a long, long time.”

Alicia laughed. “Good. There are tastier ways to eat healthy.”

Kent groaned, trying to breathe through all of the nausea. “What are the chances that this passes in the next ten minutes so I can play tomorrow?”

“Oh, sweetie.”

Kent sighed. “I figured. Just…” He looked up and saw Jack glaring at him. He dropped his gaze to his lap. “You don't have to stay up with me. I think I’ll be okay.”

Alicia shook her head. “I’ll stay up a little longer. And I’ll text your mom to tell her what’s happening.”

Kent didn’t want his mom to worry, but he knew that she needed to be brought up to speed. He couldn’t imagine how his mom would react if he told her about it after it had passed. “Okay. Thank you. If you text her at like four, she’ll be awake.”

“We’ll see, okay?” Alicia said. 

“Okay.”

It was another two hours before it finally passed. Kent had showered, brushed his teeth, and drank a ginger ale before he was finally able to sleep.

He woke up a few hours later and saw the silhouette of someone sitting at his bedside. “Mom?” he mumbled.

“I am a mom.”

“Alicia?” He rubbed his eyes to clear his vision and yawned. “Hi.”

“Feeling better?” she asked. 

Kent tried to sit up and sighed. “I don’t feel like dying.” He looked around for his cell phone. “What time is it? I feel like I’ve started my day late.”

“Kent,” she said gently, putting her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it gently. “Stay in bed a little longer.”

Kent shook his head. He couldn’t stay in bed. “I have to get started on my pregame.” He found his phone and looked at the clock. “Definitely behind.” He tried to sit up again. 

“Kent,” Alicia said with a bit more force. “Bob called Coach Gallagher and told him what happened.”

Kent knew exactly what that meant. “No. No, no, no.”

“You can’t play tonight.”

“But. I have to,” he said softly.

“Coach already said no. He knows that you’ve only slept three hours. He knows you were throwing up all night.”

“But the game. The team.”

“The team will understand.”

“But.” Would Jack? That was the most important thing. Jack already was putting all this pressure on him last night. He had to be pissed. 

And he was probably asleep at the moment.

“Get some sleep, Kent. I’ll bring up some bananas and toast in a few hours, okay?”

“I… I should text mom.”

Alicia shook her head. “She wants you to text after you’ve eaten something. But you need to sleep first, okay?”

He didn’t want to, but there wasn’t anything else he could do while stuck in his bed. His season could be over and he wasn’t even lacing up. “Okay,” he said softly. He knew there was nothing he could do or say to change it.

Alicia smiled as she gave Kent’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before leaving so he could get some sleep.

When he woke up, it was just about time to head to the arena. He dressed warmly before heading out with the Zimmermanns. Jack didn’t say anything from the moment he saw him in the kitchen all the way to the car and even all the way to the arena.

Honestly, it was what Kent expected after seeing how frustrated and heated Jack was the night before. 

Kent walked into the arena and saw what looked like disappointment on his teammates and coaches’ faces. He hated how it made him feel. He wanted to play. He felt like he could, but the decision had already been made. 

No one was happy about it.

Especially Jack.

Jack spent the entire game as far from Kent as possible. Kent was sure it had nothing to do with his symptoms. Everyone on the team noticed because it was odd seeing the two of them so far from each other. Kent was grateful the guys didn’t say anything about it. He was glad they were focused on the game instead.

But with the last minute adjustments, and the team missing two key players on their top line, they could not keep up. 

The game ended with a result no one wanted.

All Kent wanted to do was immediately forget the game happened. He couldn’t with Jack glaring at him every time they made eye contact.

They were basically forced to sit together since their lockers were right next to each other. That was the closest Jack had been to him since they stepped into the arena. As close as they were, Jack never said a word to him. And neither did Kent. The end of the game was for the coaches, the captains, and their teammates that were thinking about the draft.

Kent looked around the locker room. It would be so different next year.

At least he had one more skate with these guys.

Once the locker room cleared out except for him and Jack, Kent approached him. Their season was over. They were all going home. He was going home. But not yet. He stepped in front of Jack before he could leave. “I’m not contagious,” he said.

Jack looked around to make sure they were the only two people left. “I know,” he said. He furrowed his brow. “It was just food poisoning.”

Kent should have just let it go, but he noticed the bite in Jack’s tone. “Why did you say it like that?” he asked with a frown. 

“You could’ve played,” Jack said. 

Kent glared at Jack. “You’re kidding, right?” he said. “I may be fine now, but you don’t know what could’ve happened on the ice. Besides, the coaches already said no.”

“We could still be in the tournament,” Jack said with a growl.

“And you still wouldn’t be able to play the next game.” Kent was getting a little angry that the blame was put on him when there was nothing he could have done. But he needed to take a pause to calm down. “Look, Jack,” Kent started as he took a few steps to him.

“What?”

“Don’t…” His voice trailed off as he tried to think of exactly what he wanted to say to try and make Jack feel better. He hadn’t even been able to process the loss completely yet.

“What, Kent?”

“We’re hosting next year.”

“Is that supposed to help?”

“Yeah,” Kent said. “We get a chance at The Memmer no matter what.”

“I want to win it.”

“We will.”

“All of it. The President’s Cup. The Memmer. I want the rings.”

“I do too. So we’ll do it, okay?” It took Kent a few minutes of silence before he finally got a response from Jack. He was grateful for something as small as a nod. “You still mad at me?”

Jack let out a sigh and shook his head, letting the anger and frustration leave him. “You still should’ve played.”

“I will next time. Okay?”

“Okay,” Jack said. “I need you next season, Kent.”

“You got me. I’m your prop.” He sighed and sat back down in his locker. He wondered if he’d have the same one next year. “The season is over.”

Jack sat down in his own. Right next to Kent. “Yeah.”

“I… I’ll be heading back to New York.”

“I’ll call you when I’m down there.”

“You’re coming down?” Kent asked. He was sure they’d had this conversation before, but Kent had a lot of other things at the forefront of his mind.

“Of course I am. The teams that’ll probably be at the top of the draft are gonna be the Falconers and the Islanders. They’re rebuilding. We gotta work out for both of them. And the combines. And dad said Team USA is talking to you about the Summer Showcase.”

“I hadn’t even thought about any of that.” What he had been thinking about was finals. And Boy Scouts. The USA National team and the NHL were temporarily afterthoughts.

“Dad has been talking to your mom about getting you an agent. She knows just what you’re going to have to do this summer if you’re declaring next year.”

On top of everything else. “I guess that means we’ll see each other then.”

“Yes. And we’’ll talk.”

“You gonna call and text me every day, Zimms? That’s close to boyfriend material.” He leaned over to bump him with his shoulder. 

“Shut up,” Jack said. He was rolling his eyes, but smiling fondly. “Come on,” he said, standing up. “We gotta say our goodbyes to everyone. Mom and dad are probably waiting outside for us.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

Once they left the locker room, Kent felt a swell of emotions. They exited the locker room to applause. Kent felt he didn’t deserve it, but that didn’t matter. His teammates and their families wanted to applaud them for a season well done.

They walked up to the Zimmermanns and DeChambeaus and smiled. Kent knelt down long enough for Mele to put a lei over his head then kiss him on his cheek. “Thanks, Mele.”

“Ken,” she said with a smile. She then walked over to give one to Jack.

“You doing okay?” Konani asked as he gave Kent a lei. 

“I wanted to play,” Kent said. “Now the season’s over.”

“You still get next year,” he said.

Kent looked over at Jack and sighed. “Yeah. I do.”

They spent some time at the arena making their rounds to talk to as many families as they could. Many of them were excited to see what he and Jack were going to do next year.

Kent was excited too. He hated that it was months away. 

He took the night to recover. Then the following days to make sure that everything was ready for when he arrived back in New York. 

And he had to pack. He had picked up a lot of things while he was in Canada. Trinkets. Pictures. Hockey things. He was glad that the DeChambeaus were okay with him leaving some of his things there over the summer. He was probably going to be living with them again. The only difference was that Konani wouldn’t be there since he was heading to Nevada for college.

About a week before he had to fly back home, their team had their last team skate. Everyone was a little disappointed that it was happening so soon. They tried to push the disappointment aside because this was supposed to be a way to end the season on a good note. 

They ran a few games. Some of the draftees were even brave enough to step into the goal. It was a mess, but it was hilarious to watch. Kent was glad to hear his teammates laugh and chirp each other the entire time. They seemed to put the loss behind them. The way a team bounced back was important. 

Kent watched as the teammates that had declared for the draft say their speeches, lead a chant, and take their last shot on goal. In a year, that would be him. Or, at least Jack.

He looked at Jack every now and then and noticed that he couldn’t read his expression. Jack looked determined and focused in a way that didn’t seem necessary since their season was over.

After they washed up and headed home, Jack followed Kent into his bedroom. He shut the door behind them, grabbed Kent’s hand, and led him to Kent’s bed.

Jack pulled Kent into his lap and then down for a kiss. The kiss lasted longer than their more recent kisses had.

Kent pulled back to catch his breath. He shivered as he felt one of Jack’s hands on his hip and the other on the small on his back. “What’s going on in your head, Zimms?” he asked.

“I want a ring,” Jack said. “I… I don’t want to have a last skate unless we…”

“Okay,” Kent said softly. “Okay.” He didn’t want to say anything else because he understood. And hockey players were way too damn superstitious sometimes.

Jack was grateful that they were on the same page. He let out a deep sigh. “It’s gonna be weird waking up and not having breakfast with you every day.”

“It won’t be long,” he said. “You’ll be in New York soon enough.”

Jack kissed Kent again. “I just thought we’d have at least a few more weeks.”

Kent thought so too. He smiled, his cheeks turning pink as he did. “Getting sappy again, Zimms,” he said fondly. “But, I promise. Next year.”

“I’m gonna need you, next year,” he said. 

It was the first time that Jack had said year instead of season. Kent had to wonder what difference it made. “Just next year?”

“You know what I mean,” Jack said.

One more kiss and Kent climbed off Jack’s lap. He stretched and looked at the state of his room. It was still a mess. “I gotta finish up here.”

“You need my help?” Jack asked, standing up.

“Sure. Jack Zimmermann with the assist.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Jack Zimmermann is not folding your clothes.”

Kent let out an exaggerated groan. “Fine,” he said.

He finished packing two nights later. He sent a lot of emails. He had a few more breakfasts, and lunches, and dinners with the DeChambeaus and the Zimmermanns. 

Then he stacked his bags into the back of the Zimmermann’s SUV and was on the way to the airport. He’d been on this ride before. but this one was very different. It wasn’t a week away from Jack. It was a month. At least.

He got out of the car and grabbed his luggages while Jack grabbed his hockey bag for him. They checked him in, then walked toward the security line. Once at the entrance of it, Kent looked at Jack. He felt his cheeks warming. “I… I guess this is it, huh?”

“For a few weeks.”

“Yeah.”

Jack nudged Kent and smiled. “It’s not like we’re not gonna talk until I show up in New York,” he said.

“Yeah. You’re right,” Kent said.

Jack turned to looked at Kent and sighed. “I… if we were somewhere private, I’d kiss you,” he said softly.

Kent blushed even deeper as Jack said that. This was completely different from the last time Jack dropped him off at the airport. What was the same was that they still couldn’t kiss. 

They hadn’t kissed since the night before. Now, they wouldn’t for a month. He shrugged, trying to seem like he hadn’t thought about it. “Well, next time I see you.”

Jack nodded. He put his hand on Kent’s shoulder and squeezed. “Have a safe flight. Don’t slack on your workouts.”

Kent rolled his eyes. “I won’t, Jack. I got my summer planned down to the minute. After I graduate and finish my service project, I’ll be skating every day.”

“Good luck on everything, okay? We’ll talk soon.”

“I’ll see you in a month.”

“One month.”

Then he was on a plane and back home. His real home. Where his mom was. 

When he landed, he found his mom waiting for him at the baggage claim with one of his bags already at her hip. “Baby!” she yelled.

Kent ran forward and dropped his hockey bag once he reached her. He threw his arms around her. “Mom,” he said, hugging her as tight as he could.

“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon,” she said as soon as she was given enough space to talk.

“Yeah. Well. Blame salads.”

“Those things are banned from the Parson household,” Lydia said. She hugged Kent once more before pulling away. “You okay, baby?”

He wasn’t. But he was. He was more okay than not. “Next year we’ll be in the Memorial Cup, so you have to fly out okay?”

“Of course, baby. One of the perks of owning my own business is that I can close down whenever Kent has a thing,” she said with a wink. She wheeled Kent’s luggage back toward their baggage carousel. “Let’s get the rest of your things so we can go home.”

His real home. “Yeah.”

Lydia stepped forward and Kent immediately bent down so his mom could kiss his forehead. “I’m so proud of you, baby. You did it.”

“All I did was go away, mom.”

“And you did something you love.”

Kent didn’t know why that made him blush. To think that he was ready to stay home and turn down the opportunity to play in the Q. “Yeah,” he said. He took in a breath and let it out slowly as he thought of everything in his upcoming schedule. “It’s gonna be a busy summer, mom.”

“You got this, baby.”

If his mom said it, it had to be true. “I got this.” Kent watched the bags go around and found his last one. He grabbed it and walked to his mom’s car. 

After getting something to eat, the two of them headed home. Once he brought everything in, Kent just stood in the middle of the living room and stared.

He was home.

He was staying home.

He didn’t have to worry about flying back to Canada in a week.

He wasn’t sure just how he felt about it. He missed Canada. Or, at least, he missed some parts of it.

He carried his bags into his room and left it by the door before plopping on his bed. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone, realizing that he hadn’t turned it on since he landed.

He turned his phone on and watched as it warmed up. It took a minute before he was bombarded with messages from his teammates. And Keats. One day he’d regret giving Keats his number. Not today, though. 

He scrolled through most of the messages, replying to none of them. He saw a few messages from Jack. And that Jack had sent them around the same time his plane had taken off. 

 **From: Jack Z  
** (1:22 PM): I’ll see you in a few weeks.

Kent smiled and rolled his eyes. He hated how much a simple text was making him feel warm and giddy.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (1:23 PM): See you in a few weeks, Jack.

Kent put his phone down, but he picked it up a few seconds later when he felt a vibration. It was from Jack. He opened the message read what Jack said. It made him blush. Deep.

 **From: Jack Z  
** (1:23 PM): I should’ve kissed you before you left.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (1:23 PM): You been thinking about that since I left?

 **From: Jack Z  
** (1:26 PM): Couldn’t help it.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (1:26 PM): I guess you gotta kiss me the next time you see me.

 **From: Jack Z  
** (1:28 PM): I will.  
(1:29 PM): Now, get some sleep. You must be tired from the flight. Good luck on your finals and whatever else you have to do.   
(1:29 PM): I’ll kiss you in a few weeks.

 **To: Jack Z  
** (1:30 PM): I can’t wait.

Kent sighed and set his phone down on his chest. He smiled as he turned onto his side to curl up. He shut his eyes and fell asleep with Jack on his mind. 


	14. Chapter 14

For his first few days back in New York, Kent barely had enough energy to change out of his pajamas. He’d stir awake when his mom came into his room to kiss him at four in the morning, but fell right back asleep before she even started the car to leave for work.

It wasn’t exactly that he didn’t have the energy to change out of his pajamas, it was that he didn’t have a reason to. He could send his emails in his pajamas. He could eat breakfast and lunch in his pajamas. He could watch hockey in his pajamas. He could study for finals in his pajamas.

He couldn’t drive yet, so he was stuck at home for the time being. If he really needed to get out of the house, the bus and subways were there for him to use.

For four days straight his mom would come home, see him still in his boxers and sweatshirt, and chirp him about it. Lydia would then change into her own sweats and sit with him until it was time for Kent to make dinner. 

On the fifth day, Kent drove.

He wanted to get his license before his permit expired and he’d have to renew it.

While he hadn’t really been driving a lot since he was in Canada, he had practiced a few times whenever Konani let him. It helped that his mom made him drive the few times he had come home.

He was determined to get his license and make it be the first thing checked off of his long list of things to do while home. He had all of his required hours done. He just needed to take the road test after a few days of practice.

One of the best parts about being back in New York in the middle of April was that everyone his age was still in school. Which meant there wasn’t much of a wait to take the test whenever he decided he was ready.

The first time he took it, he failed. By two points.

It didn’t upset him as much as he figured normal teenage boys would be. He felt a little bad only because it meant his mom still had to drive him around if he wanted to get to places. Or he had to make the most out of public transportation. 

Then again, he didn’t really have anywhere he needed to be. He still had to study for finals. He still had to email his scout leaders. He was still keeping his eyes on the CHL playoffs. He could do that in the comfort of his living room or bedroom.

Except sometimes, a nagging voice in his head and on his phone would tell him that he needed to skate. The voice sounded a lot like Jack. So, every other day, he’d take a bus to the rink and have a lot of open ice to himself. It mostly served two purposes because he got to talk to Mr. Wyatt uninterrupted while he was there.

A week later, he retook the test and passed.

With his license he was tasked with taking his mom to work before the sun came up every time he wanted or needed the car. He didn’t need it every day, but he did need it to get ready for the next thing to check off of his list. 

He had to complete his service project to become an Eagle Scout.

Preparation took place after driving back home from dropping his mom off at Sebastian’s. He needed a few more hours of sleep before he could focus on planning. At a more reasonable time, he’d drive to the rink, skate, and make sure everything was set for his service project. He would be forever thankful to Mr. Wyatt since he had helped Kent so much while he was up in Canada. Mr. Wyatt really wanted to do everything he could so Kent could become an Eagle Scout.

The day everything was nearly finalized, after picking up his mom and driving home, he went straight to his room to relax. He had time before he had to get started on dinner.  He pulled out his phone and saw a missed call from Jack. 

He furrowed his brow. He hadn’t heard his phone ring. Something had to be up since Jack didn’t usually call. Most of their conversations were by text or Jack would leave him a voicemail reminding him to skate. This time there was no voicemail. He dialed Jack’s number and waited. “Jack?” he asked when he picked up.

“Hello.”

Nothing sounded wrong. But, then again, it was a little harder to read Jack when he couldn’t see his face. “You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Kent didn’t actually know how to answer that. It was best to just move past it. “What’s up?”

“Just… I just wanted to check in,” he said. “Have you been skating?”

Kent kept himself from rolling his eyes. Jack could have asked that through text. He had been. Every day. Since he got back in New York. “When I can. More now that I got my license. I got my license, Jack.”

“I saw,” Jack said with a soft laugh. “Your hair looks out of control.”

Kent laughed back. He had taken a picture of his license as soon as he got it and, after showing it to his mom, he sent it to Jack. Only after looking at his license did he realize that he hadn’t even attempted to tame his cowlick. “I regret sending you the picture.” He didn’t. He was excited about finally getting it and not having to bother his mom for a ride anymore. The only person he cared to tell, after his mom, was Jack.

“It’s cute,” Jack said.

Of course, those two words made him blush. He rubbed his face, wanting to erase it from his cheeks, even though no one could see it. “How are you doing, Jack?” he asked.

“I’ve been playing a lot of hockey.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Kent said. He scooted back to lean against his headboard. He wasn’t in a rush to head to the kitchen.

“I’ve been skating and working out,” Jack continued as if Kent hadn’t just interrupted him. “Just keeping everything up so we’re ready in September.”

“Jack. It’s April,” he said.

“I know. We still have a lot to do before the season starts.”

“We.”

“Well, you more than me,” Jack countered. Kent could hear him moving on the other end. “How is your service project going?”

“It’s coming together a lot faster than I expected,” he said. It was taking place in a few days and he didn’t feel ready. “I don’t even know if kids are gonna show up,” he said. Mr. Wyatt had said that a lot of kids were excited, but that didn’t exactly translate to them attending the weekend.

“They’ll show,” Jack said. “You came up with a good project. If I were a kid, I’d definitely want to take part in it somehow.”

That made Kent feel a lot better about what he was trying to put together. It still didn’t quell his fear about showing up to an empty rink come Saturday morning. “You’re not gonna show up unexpectedly with your parents in tow and save this thing, are you?” Kent asked.

“Why would I do that?” Jack asked, confused.

“I’ve been watching too many Hallmark movies,” Kent said with a laugh. He sighed and crossed his legs as he sat on his bed. “There is so much happening, Jack. And it’s not even hockey related.”

“Well, you should be happy, because if it was, there’d be a good chance of burning out. And you can’t burn out.”

“That almost sounds like concern for me,” Kent said with a smile as he pulled on a stray thread on his comforter.

“Of course, I care about you, Kenny,” Jack said.

“I care about you too, Jack,” Kent said. “Thanks for calling. And listening.” It was nice to hear from him. The last few days, Kent had been feeling a little overwhelmed with everything he had to do in the coming weeks. Jack had helped Kent calm down. “You’re so damn lucky you don’t have school.”

“I do have school,” Jack said. “But not like you. Next year we’ll be going to the same school, which will be easier.”

“My personal translator,” Kent said. He needed to ask his mom to speak more French at home so he wasn’t attending a school in Quebec without any French under his belt.

“They speak English,” Jack said. 

“Thank God for that,” Kent said, relieved. He heard his mom opening and closing cabinets outside and knew that it was time to help with dinner. “Jack. I gotta go. Dinner calls.”

“Protein. You need to bulk up,” Jack said.

“Yes, nutritionist, trainer, Jack,” Kent said, rolling his eyes.

“I’ll call you in a few days. Probably after your project because I don’t want to be a distraction,” he said.

“You’re never a distraction,” Kent said. Some part of that felt like a lie. “Bye, Zimms.”

“Talk to you later, Kenny,” he said.

Kent wished he could hate how easily Jack could make him blush by just using that nickname. Kent pressed his hands to his cheeks to calm down. He couldn’t walk out of his room with his cheeks pink.

His mom would see. And his mom could chirp with the best of them.

The last few days leading up to his service project were hectic. He spent his mornings at the Arena working with Mr. Wyatt to finalize the timeline for the events. When he was done there, he’d study for an hour before heading to Sebastian’s. He spent his time there helping his mom make treats for the kids that would be attending the weekend. They could only do these things once the shop closed, which meant they’d get home later than usual. It left Kent wondering how his mom did this every single day. 

Every night, Kent and Lydia would come home covered in flour and tired.

But he was never too tired to not text Jack.

Most days, the text he would get from him was the usual, ‘Have you skated today?’. Kent lied about twenty percent of the time whenever he replied hours later. He was sure Jack wouldn't count him just putting on skates and taking a lap or two as skating.

Then again, he was going to get a lot of skating done this coming weekend, even if it wasn’t as intense as Jack wanted it to be. Luckily, Jack understood his priorities. Hockey was a priority, but, right now, Kent still had to become an Eagle Scout, and he still had to graduate high school.

Then, he could worry about the upcoming season, and the Memmer, and the draft. And everything in between.

The Saturday of his service project he and his mom were up before the sun packing bags and boxes of bags of treats into his mom’s SUV. Looking at the boxes in the back of the car, Kent thought that they had overdone it. He had made flyers and put them up in the arena and in the shop weeks before to advertise the event. He had received a few emails from parents saying that their child would attend, but the number wasn’t a guarantee.

If he had even fifteen kids there, he’d call it a success. Actually, any number would have been a good number for him.

When they arrived at the arena, his eyes went wide when he saw how many cars were in the parking lot. It wasn’t full, but there were more cars there than Kent expected there to be. Every car was there for his service project. 

Mr. Wyatt was kind and awesome enough to shut down the arena for the weekend for him. The community came together with donations and volunteers, so Mr. Wyatt didn’t lose too much during those two days. It helped that Mr. Wyatt, and the community, thought it was for a good cause.

When he walked into the arena, he was greeted by what looked like fifty kids and teenagers dressed in their hockey pads.

“Oh wow,” he said softly, glad that he didn’t just automatically swear like he would have done in any other situation. He walked up and greeted the little kids that he had seen around the arena when he was there in the summer. They wanted hugs and he told them he give them one once everything was set up. 

After helping his mom bring in the boxes from her car, he sat at a table with his former coaches so they could sign in the participants. The volunteers also started organizing the donations. He could not believe the parents gave so much so their kids would be able to come and skate with him for a weekend.

He teared up when he saw that so many people were willing to help him. He would thank each and every one of them before the end of the weekend.

An hour later, he stepped onto the ice with his coaches from his bantam and youth days standing on either side of him. In that moment, he thought about how much he missed playing for them. They had helped and taught him so much. And they were so patient with him. Because of them, he was able to do enough on the ice to make it to the Q. 

Now, they were helping him teach these kids and teenagers a little more about hockey.

He watched the kids already skating around and smiled at the laughter filling the arena. This was it was about. Hockey was supposed to be fun.

“Okay,” he said loud enough that his voice echoed throughout the rink.

Everyone skating around came to a stop and looked over at his direction. Then, they skated over toward him. They gathered on the ice and stared. Kent waved at a few of the younger kids as they plopped down on the ice in front of the group.

He stood there for a minute, just waiting. That was until his coach leaned over and nudged him. Kent’s eyes went wide when he realized that he was supposed to say something. But what? He licked his lips, nervous. He always hated whenever attention was on him. 

“Right,” he said. “My… if you don’t know…” He took in a breath and let it out to focus. He saw his mom out of the corner of his eye and it was more than enough to calm him down.

“My name is Kent Parson. I want to thank you all for coming down for this weekend. Thanks to the parents for driving and putting together some backpacks to donate. I know there’ll be a bunch of families that will appreciate them.

You guys and gals that are ready to skate, you are doing me a solid. You’re all playing a major part in me taking my final step to become an Eagle Scout.

“So, we’re gonna learn and play a lot of hockey over these next few days. And most importantly, we’re gonna have a lot of fun. Mom made sweets for everyone.” He looked up and saw her on at the side of the rink setting up a table for the treats. She waved and he waved back. “Be sure to tell her how awesome they are and how doubly awesome she is.”

Everyone followed his gaze and waved at his mom. Kent laughed when she waved back. “Okay,” he said. “These are my coaches, Coach Asmundson and Coach Shipka, and their assistants and they’ll be your coaches for the weekend. Any questions?” He looked at the crowd and saw everyone shaking their heads. He smiled. “So, let’s get started.”

Kent immediately skated over to the youngest of the kids to help them stand back up the ice. Then the drills and games started.

Kent, along with his coaches, got to work splitting up the participants by age and skill level. Kent worked with the youngest kids. He mostly followed them as they skated up to the puck with their hockey sticks and tried their best not to fall down. He spent a lot of his time cheering the kids on and helping them up off the ice whenever they lost their balance.

During the breaks, he’d skate around and try his best to score on his coaches. He was more successful than he thought he’d be considering that he was going up against his two coaches on his own. Every time he scored, he gave a loud and exaggerated celly in front of them to gloat, which the younger kids enjoyed. He had picked up a thing or two in the Q. 

It wasn’t exactly the type of hockey Jack would’ve approved of, but Kent wasn’t going to keep score. He was on the ice. He was hoping to inspire the future of hockey. He was having fun. 

And he could see how much fun everyone was having. 

During lunch, he handed out energy bars and brownies with his mom before finally getting to sit down. It was probably the first time he got to rest his legs all day. He spent the rest of his lunch with the younger kids, talking to them and laughing at the exaggerated stories they told. They were so adorable and excitable. Kent liked thinking that this somehow translated to excitement for hockey. He felt a sense of accomplishment that he was helping the kids get interested in the sport at a young age. 

“Mr. Kent. You gon play at the NHL?” asked one of the youngest kids there. She had spent most of her time next to Kent, holding onto his pants or shirt because she was still learning how to skate and hold the stick at the same time. 

“I hope so, Miss Arabella,” he said after swallowing the bite of the energy bar he just took.

“You’re gon be my favorite!”

“Well, you're one of my favorites,” Kent said, taking a bite of his sandwich. 

“Me too!” yelled a young boy a few feet away.

“Yes, you too, Holden,” he said after drinking some Gatorade.

“And can you teach me to celly like you, Mr. Kent?”

“Of course, Holden.”

“Mr. Kent, can I be your favorite too?” asked little Darian toward the back.

He smiled as the kids kept raising their hands, wanting Kent to say they were his favorite too. It was a good thing he was good at remembering names. Once everyone finished their lunches, and the zamboni finished with the ice, they were back on it and ready to play for another few hours. 

At the end of the first day, Kent was so exhausted that all he could do was take a few bites of Chinese take out before taking the shortest shower of his life. It was a miracle he stayed awake long enough to send Jack a goodnight text. He passed out remembering if he turned off his light or not.

The next day was more the same, but with somehow more kids, and even more backpacks. 

His scoutmasters had shown up the second day to see how everything was running. They also helped count how many backpacks the event had collected. By the end of the weekend, he had collected a little over a hundred backpacks to donate to kids who would need bags and school supplies for the next school year.

He thought it was a successful weekend with most kids and many parents asking if it was going to happen again next year. Kent said there was a possibility. He would have to talk to his mom and Mr. Wyatt and his coaches first. 

He didn’t mention that he’d have to find time in his busy schedule if it were going to take place again next year.

After cleaning the arena, he turned in a final tally of the backpacks and signed some important paperwork from his scoutmasters. He had completed his service project. Now, all he had to do was wait for the confirmation and he was officially an Eagle Scout. And he had to plan a short ceremony. 

Jack called him the same day that Kent received the confirmation that he was an Eagle Scout. Kent gushed about how cute the kids were on skates and in their pads. He talked about how his coaches got the teens excited to continue playing hockey. He talked about all the questions everyone asked him abou how long he’d been playing to how it was playing in the Q to the chances of him taking the next step.

Jack seemed interested in everything Kent said about the weekend. Kent heard Jack laugh a few times in the retelling. Then Kent was out of breath and done with his recap.

“So, when is your ceremony,” Jack asked, breaking the silence.

“End of the school year,” Kent said. “So, a few weeks, I think. Middle of May?.”

“Busy few weeks, huh?” Jack said.

“It seems less terrifying now that the project is out of the way.” It had taken up so much of his time and energy, but it was completely worth it. “It’s the ceremony. Finals, which I can handle. Then graduation.”

“Then you can finally focus on hockey,” Jack said.

“Yes, Jack,” Kent said with a smile. “I can finally focus on hockey.” He knew Jack would be happy to hear it. It meant that he had only three months to get back into hockey shape. 

“I’m glad to hear it,” Jack said. There was another pause in the conversation. “My parents and I will be in New York in a few weeks.”

Kent knew this. Jack had told him that they would be traveling in the summer and New York was going to be one of their stops. “Talking to teams already? Kinda stealing the thunder away from people in this actual draft class, Jack,” he teased. 

“Shut up, Kenny,” Jack said without any fire in those words. “Mom has an event, and dad is meeting with some friends.”

“And you?” he asked, hopeful, but for what he wasn’t sure.

“I’ll find a way to play hockey,” Jack said.

Which was the automatic answer Kent expected Jack to say. “Of course,” he said. Jack was a machine. 

“With you,” Jack added.

“Yeah,” Kent said, blushing, but a little proud. “I’ll be here.”

They talked for a little while longer before Kent had to leave and pick up his mom from work. It was nice to get home at a normal hour. 

Kent was grateful that the days had slowed down enough for him to gather himself. Most days, all he did was study for finals, skate, and help his mom at Sebastian’s. In his free time, he put together his Eagle Court of Honor, which was easy enough. since He just copied what he liked from other ceremony templates and put them together for his own.

His family on the west coast was flying up for his graduation, and they were arriving just in time for the ceremony. He wasn’t sure if he was going to involve them or not. 

The ceremony wasn’t big. Kent was the only person in his troop becoming an Eagle Scout, so the ceremony he put together was short, but meaningful. He include his mom as much as he could. He started when he gave her seven red roses as was in one ceremony tradition he saw. He smiled as she gave a rose to his grandma and another one to each of her cousins, like he predicted she would.

He teared up when he pinned his Eagle Scout badge over his mom’s heart. He looked up and was ready to cry when he saw his mom crying. He reached up to wipe her tears. “Mom,” he said softly. He tried to sound like he was teasing, but he couldn’t manage it. He hated seeing her cry. 

“Sorry, baby. These are happy tears. I’m so proud of you.” She reached up to try and brush his cowlick down. “You… you look so much like your dad, right now.”

That was more than enough to set off Kent’s tears. “Mom.”

She reached into her purse and pulled out a tissue to wipe his cheeks, and an envelope. “It’s a letter. But you don’t have to read it now,” she said soft enough that only Kent could hear.

Kent shook his head. “You can read it out loud. Auntie Luci and Brina and mama are gonna read theirs. You don’t have to read your letter if you don’t want to, though.”

“Kent. Baby. It’s not from me. It’s from your dad.”

Kent sucked in a breath. Those were not words he expected to hear. “Mom?”

Lydia leaned forward to kiss Kent on his cheek. “We can read it at home together, if you want.”

Kent couldn’t find his voice. All he could do was nod. He wanted to read it at home. There were some things that he wanted to keep for himself.

When the ceremony finished, he went to dinner with his family to celebrate, dropped them off where they were staying, then went home. He told his mom that he wanted to wait to read his dad’s letter, so he took it, and put it on his desk until the right time came.

Kent knew that the best time would be after finals. The letter was motivation. 

Every day, when he sat at his desk in his room, he’d pick up the envelope and look at his dad’s handwriting on it.  
  
  
  


_To: Kent Valeray_

  
  
  
The temptation to open the letter was always there, but the moment never felt right. The words in the letter could be his dad’s last words to him. He wasn’t ready for that.

His phone rang in the middle of one of those moments where he had been taking a break from studying. He had picked up the letter for what was probably the hundredth time, and just stared at his name. He set it down against his picture frame and answered his phone. 

“Hey, Jack,” Kent said, moving to his bed. His break from studying would be a little longer than planned.

“If I’m in New York in two days, what are the chances that I’ll see you?”

Kent smiled. No hello, just straight to the point. Very Jack Zimmermann. “New York is a big place, Jack.”

“It’s not that big if the reason I’m in New York is for you,” Jack countered. “Mostly.”

“Me?” he asked, confused. Why would Jack be in New York for him?

“Your mom invited us to your graduation.”

Kent’s brain paused for a moment. It was like Jack had read his mind. “Of course, she did,” Kent said like it was obvious, but he really did not expect his mom to do that.

“I’m actually a little offended that the invitation didn’t come from you,” he said. 

“You’ve been busy.” He had been busy too. That, and he didn’t think the Zimmermanns would actually make their way down to New York just for his graduation. 

“Mom and dad said I needed a break,” Jack said. He let out a sigh. “I have to agree with them. There’s only so much I can do when everyone I know is still playing hockey.” It sounded like Jack was saying that more to himself than to Kent. 

Kent waited, thinking Jack was going to say something more. “Jack?” he finally said after Jack stayed silent.

“I don’t think I’ve every actually explored New York. I’ve been there a dozen times, but it’s always been for hockey.”

“I can show you around.”

“After finals.”

“After finals,” Kent repeated. “Which, how are you not studying for finals? You went to school too. You should be stressing out like I am.”

“I took my finals online,” Jack said. “I’ve been done for a week.”

Kent was sure Jack was bragging about it even if he didn’t sound like he was bragging about it. “Canadian schools are so weird.”

“Says the person who has been raised in the United States school system. What is their rank in the world again?”

Kent rolled his eyes. “Jesus, Jack. It isn’t a competition.”

“You're right,” he said, which surprised Kent to hear. He’d take that as a small, meaningless victory. “So. Maybe I’ll see you before your graduation.”

“I hope so,” Kent said. “Make a list of things you want to do. I can drive now so I can be your tour guide.”

“I’ll ask mom and dad how long we’ll be in New York and how much they have to do. And I’ll let you know how much free time I have.”

“Yeah. You do that,” he said. He looked at the clock on his phone and saw that he needed to get back to studying. “I gotta finish studying. I gotta take this and a religion final tomorrow.” He would’ve rather kept talking to Jack, but he just needed to get through his two days of high school. 

“Good luck,” Jack said. 

“I’ll see you in a few days, Jack,” Kent said. He thought that was the end of the conversation and that Jack would hang up, but he didn’t. 

“I still owe you a kiss, don’t I?” Jack said before Kent could end the call.

Apparently the conversation wasn’t over just yet. “I thought you forgot.”

“The first minute I get you alone, I’m kissing you,” he said as if he were stating a fact.

“You actually think we’re gonna have time alone?” Kent said with a fond laugh.

“I think we might,” Jack said. “Mom and dad have a big event to go to, and I think they’re taking your mom.”

“I don't know if she’ll go for that,” Kent said. He hoped it was true, though. His mom deserved to have a nice night out. 

“The last I heard, she already agreed. You should go shopping with her. She needs a nice dress.”

“She has nice dresses.”

 “I don’t doubt that,” Jack said. “But, if they are going out, I think that just leaves me and you to find a way to kill some time.”

“I’ll make it exciting,” Kent said. “So,” he started. Well, screw the studying for now. “What else are you gonna be up to while you’re here? You meeting with teams?”

“We’ll be meeting the Islanders and the Falconers coaches after your graduation,” Jack said. “They’re in the middle of a rebuild. It’s a very good chance they’ll be at the bottom of the league again next year.”

“Jack,” Kent said. “Don’t be mean.”

“You do realize you're coming too, right?”

“What?”

“Dad thinks it’s a good idea to get your name out there before next season,” Jack said. “They’re already talking about you. It’ll look good if it looks like you’re taking the initiative.”

“Jack. I’ll be lucky if I crack the top 25 next year,” Kent replied.

“Stop that,” Jack responded, his tone harsher than either of them expected. “You can’t think like that if you want us to have a chance at the Cup next year.”

Kent sighed. “You’re right.” He meant it. He needed to keep his thoughts positive. He knew how easily everything could all fall apart if he took his eye off the ball. Or the puck. 

Most importantly, Jack wanted him to be positive. 

“Next year is gonna be really different, Kenny. I need you.”

Jack needed him. “I know, I know,” Kent said. He wanted to say no pressure, but that didn’t feel true at all. There was a lot of pressure on him already. He had no idea why. “You have me.”

“Okay,” Jack said. “You have me too.”

That was the reassurance he needed. “Thanks, Zimms.”

“Go finish studying. I’ll see you in a few days.”

“I’ll see you, Jack.” Kent hung up the phone before another conversation could start. He stepped out of his room and went searching for his mom. He found her sitting at their dining table with papers spread out all over the surface of it. “Cook book?” he asked.

Lydia looked up at Kent and smiled. “Tell me again how I was able to write three of them?” she said, setting the sheet of paper she was holding down in one of the two piles in the corner. “I don’t exactly have a lot of recipes.”

“Yes, you do,” Kent said with a laugh. He sat down next to her. He picked up the bigger of the two stacks and started to look through them. “These are good recipes. But… I’m guessing this is the no pile.”

“I can’t give away all my secrets, baby,” she said with a smile. 

“You could ask grandma for some recipes since she’s here,” Kent said. “Then change them up.” He was a big fan of his grandma’s cooking.

Lydia stared at her son. “That is a great idea. When did you get so smart?”

Kent rolled his eyes. “I don’t know if you realize this, mom, but in a few days, I’m gonna be a high school graduate.”

“Excuse me, what?” she said with an exaggerated squeak. She sat back and took in a deep breath. “My baby is graduating from high school,” she said softly with a smile on her face. 

But there was a little bit of sadness in that smile.

“Mom?” He set down the stack of papers.

Lydia shook her head, not wanting him to focus on that sadness. “I just… I’m…” She reached over and put her hand on Kent’s forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “We didn’t read your dad’s letter, did we?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “We… we wanted to wait,” he replied, hesitant. He was the reason they hadn’t read it. He was the one hesitating. Mostly because Kent as afraid that the letter would be the last thing his dad ever gave him.

“What are you afraid of?”

“Nothing,” Kent said faster than he should have. He sighed and slumped his shoulders. He would never be able to lie to his mom. “It’s just…” His voice trailed off, unsure of how he wanted to finish the sentence.

“There are other letters, baby,” Lydia said.

“What?” His mom was a mind reader.

“You know your father,” she said, her voice soft. “There… he wrote you letters for every possible occasion he could think of. You graduating high school. You going to college if you chose. You graduating college. You getting married. You getting dra—”

“Don’t jinx it,” he said softly. He couldn’t believe his dad did that for him.

“He even wrote letters for moments. There’s one for if you’re feeling down. Or for if you miss him. Or if I’m driving you crazy,” Lydia said with a smile.

“Mom…”

“He wrote me letters too,” she said. “I have a stack right next to yours.”

Kent swallowed hard. This was almost too much. He reached up and pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes to stop himself from crying. “He did that?”

Lydia nodded. “You know your father.” She stood up and gathered all of the loose sheets of paper on the table. She could finish working later. “We should read it tonight,” Lydia said. “If you want, baby. It’s for you. I mean, I don’t even need to be there for that.”

“Of course you’re gonna be there,” Kent said. Knowing his dad, even if this letter was for him, it would have something about his mom in it. “We should do it now,” he said softly. “I have two finals tomorrow so I have to finish studying. I need a… boost.” It helped knowing that he’d have another one to read in a week’s time. 

Lydia nodded. “Why don’t you go get it and I get us some wine? Wait. No. You have finals tomorrow. No wine for you.”

Kent kissed his mom on the forehead before heading to his room to grab the letter. He found it where he left it, on his desk. Standing up. With his name written in his dad’s handwriting. He calmed himself before leaving his room.

His mom was in the living room pouring out a glass of wine for herself. His glass had some sort of clear soda in it. “You ready?” he said, sitting next to her.

She slid over his glass. “Are you?”

Kent picked up his glass and tipped it to her. “To dad,” he said.

Lydia shook her head. “No, baby. To you,” she said. Then she clinked their glasses together.

Kent took a sip of his soda then set the glass down. He was careful as he opened up the envelope. He pulled out the letter. Two pages.

Kent’s hand went to his dad’s dog tags that were under his shirt. He felt his eyes already starting to water.   
  
  
  


Kenny,

Hey, bud! You did it! After so many years of hard work, you’re an Eagle Scout! I’m so proud of you. This has been a long, long time in the making. 

So, since I’m your dad, and I’m awesome, I’m going to embarrass you a bit. Because that’s what dads do.

I remember your first day of Cub Scouts and how happy you were to put on your uniform. I can still hear the exact words you said once you put on the hat.

_I have a uniform like you, daddy._

You were so happy. I was really happy too. 

I didn’t cry, no matter what your mom says.

  
  
  
Kent noticed his hands were shaking and he had to set the letter down for a moment. Even if his dad wasn’t crying that day, his mom definitely was right now, reading the letter with him. He leaned over and rested his head against his mom’s as she leaned against his shoulder. He reached up to wipe his cheek.

Kent wasn’t crying, no matter what his mom said. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please check the tags! They've been updated for this chapter.

The Zimmermanns landed in New York when Kent was halfway through his last “day” of high school ever. He had scheduledhis four finals and his final paper to be done and turned in over two days. He had no reason to delay taking his finals just so he could take it with his classmates. He was already done learning the material.

He felt good to be done with high school, while his friends were stuck in it for another week or so. He wanted to feel bad for his friends, but he didn’t.

Jack was in town.

He knew this, because he saw the had a few messages from Jack when he checked his phone after his last final. Jack had sent them just as he started taking it.

**From: Jack Z  
** (10:37 AM): What would you recommend from your mom’s shop?  
(10:37 AM): And you can’t say everything.  
(10:39 AM): Your mom said you were probably in your final, right now. Good luck.  
(10:43 AM): Your mom is trying to get me to eat one of everything.

Kent laughed as he got into his mom’s car.

**To: Jack Z  
** (11:27 AM): You don’t have to eat everything, you know. Just tell her you don’t want to.

**From: Jack Z  
** (11:29 AM): I can’t do that.  
(11:30 AM): She’s so nice.  
(11:32 AM): What happened to you?

Kent rolled his eyes and drove to his mom’s shop. He raised his eyebrow when he saw the line outside of Sebastian’s. While that was the usual at the shop, he had to wonder how much of it was because Bob and Alicia Zimmermann were there.

He walked in and headed straight to the back to find his mom talking to the Zimmermanns. Jack was in the corner, making his way through the tray of treats in front of him. He walked over and sat next to him. “I’m a very nice person, thank you very much,” he said.

Jack looked at Kent and smirked. “You could’ve easily just texted that to me.”

“Why would I text when I knew I was gonna see you in a few minutes?”

Jack smiled and picked up a mini cupcake and popped it into his mouth. He washed it down with a sip of coffee. “I suppose you have a point.”

“You know, you don’t have to eat all of them,” he said. He looked at the tray and saw four samples left. He wondered how many treats were on it in the beginning. He stretched to pull the tray away.

But Jack was quicker in pulling it out of reach.

Kent sucked in a breath when he realized just how far over he had leaned. Jack’s face was right there. A few inches and they’d be kissing. With their parents in the same room. He sat back up and his cheeks warmed as he did. “So…” he said, clearing his throat. “How… um… any favorites?”

“I’m not usually a fan of sweets,” Jack says, picking up piece of chocolate that was intricately decorated. “They’re all good.”

“Safe answer,” Kent said with a laugh.

“I think I have a soft spot for the cookies and cream puffs from all those months ago,” Jack said, leaning over to nudge him.

“You have good taste,” Kent said. He reached over and snatched the closest pastry on the tray. He popped it in his mouth before Jack could stop him.

“Hey.”

“I’ll get you another one,” Kent said, or, at least, tried to say with his mouth full.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Jack said at the same time as Lydia.

Lydia laughed and walked over, kissing Kent on his forehead. “How were finals, baby?”

“They were finals. I think they’re supposed to be more bad than good,” Kent said. He looked over his mom’s shoulder and saw Bob and Alicia standing near. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Zimmermann.”

“Kent,” the both of them said.

“I think we’re past that point of you making us sound so old.” He looked at Lydia. “He accidentally called Alicia mom.”

Kent blushed. “There was a woman next to me while I was sick. I thought it was my mom.”

“I’m not holding it against him,” Alicia said. He lightly slapped Bob on his arm. “Bobby. Be nice.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Zi-” He stopped himself when he saw the look from both Bob and Alicia. “Z. Mr. Z. That’s all I can do, right now.” Even if they gave him permission to call them Bob and Alicia, he had to be respectful especially in front of his mom.

“Sounds good to us,” Alicia said. She slid her arm under Bob’s and pulled him close. “We should be heading back to the hotel to get ready.” She watched as Jack put the last treat into his mouth. “Jack? You ready to head out?”

Jack looked up at Kent, almost as if he were deferring to him for the answer. “I…”

Kent could see that Jack didn’t know what he wanted to do. “I can take him back to the hotel later, Mrs. Z,” he said with a smile. “If Jack wants to hang out here for a bit.”

Jack let out a breath that seemed to relax his entire body. He then looked at his mom.

“Okay,” Alicia said. She walked over and kissed his forehead. “Just don’t stay out too late, okay? And Kent, if you need us to come pick him up, just let us know, okay?”

“I will,” Kent said.

“Come get your things from the car,” Bob said.

“Things?”

“His skates,” Bob and Alicia said.

“Of course,” he said with a smirk. The answer was obvious. “Go. We can go to the rink. There shouldn't be anyone there, right now.”

Jack nodded and got up from his seat. He returned a few minutes later, carrying his hockey bag. He set it down on the ground. He saw Kent staring. “What?”

“That’s more than just skates, Jack,” Kent said.

“I wasn’t gonna just skate,” he countered.

“Of course not,” Kent said. That meant he’d have to drive home to get his things first if Jack wanted to do more than skate. “If that’s the case, we need to head home.” He stood up and stretched. “Come on.”

Kent went out into the shop and saw his mom restocking some pastries. He walked over and kissed her cheek. “I’m gonna head out and me and Jack are gonna head to the rink.”

Lydia smiled and kissed him back. “Can you take some ground beef out of the freezer so it’ll be defrosted by the time we get home?”

“Yeah. I can do that.” He looked at the nearest clock and did the math. “I’ll see you in four hours,” he said. He looked back and saw Jack standing near the entrance with his bag on his shoulders. “Come on. I parked in the front.”

He led the way to the car and opened the back for Jack to put his things inside. He got into the car and started it up once Jack buckled in.

He reached over and turned on the radio and drove the half hour to his place. He looked over at Jack before getting out of the car. “Do you wanna wait here or come in? I shouldn’t be too long,” he said.

“I’ll come in,” he said, stepping out.

Kent nodded and walked up to the front door to unlock it. Once he stepped in, he heard Jack shut the door. He sucked in a breath as Jack spun him around and pulled him close. “J-Jack?”

“I said I was going to kiss you the next time we were alone,” he said. He brushed Kent’s hair back.

Kent blushed and leaned into the touch. “You did say that, huh?”

“Is that okay?”

Kent nodded twice.

Then Jack was leaning forward and pressing their lips together. He held it for a moment before deepening it.

After a minute or two Kent stepped back. It wasn’t very far since Jack’s arm was wrapped around his waist, and he wasn’t keen on letting him get too far. He smiled and gave Jack one more quick kiss. “You’ve been waiting weeks for that, huh?” he said with a smile.

Jack rolled his eyes and let Kent go. “I told you I was going to do it.”

“So, this is just you keeping your promises?”

“That,” Jack said. “And I really wanted to kiss you.”

Kent let out a laugh to regain his composure. “So, are we really going to skate or was that just an excuse to kiss me?” he said, heading to his room.

“Go change,” Jack said.

Kent was quick as he changed out of his school uniform and into more hockey-appropriate clothes. He stepped into the living room and saw Jack looking out at his back yard. “Jack?” he asked as he went to the kitchen to pull the ground beef out of the freezer.

“You have a pool,” Jack said.

“Yeah,” Kent said. He remembered that Jack also had a pool in his back yard. He wondered why Jack focused on that. “You can go jump in if you want.”

“No. We have to skate. Maybe we can later, or something.” He gave Kent a once over before walking toward the front door. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Kent said.

“Where are your things?” Jack asked after looking him over.

“By the door. Calm down.” Kent grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He stepped out and locked the door once Jack was outside. He put his things in the back of the car next to Jack’s and got in.

The drive to the rink was a quiet one with only the sounds of a pop station playing in the background.

They got to the rink and saw there weren’t many people there. Most people were still at school or work, so, for the most part, they would have the rink to themselves.

Kent led the way into the arena and smiled when they saw Mr. Wyatt wiping down a counter. “Mr. Wyatt!” he said happily.

Mr. Wyatt threw the rag off to the side and smiled back. “Kent! It’s been awhile. Finally done with finals?” he said. He walked around the counter to hug Kent.

“Yeah,” he said. He hugged Mr. Wyatt. He stepped away so he could introduce Jack. “This is Jack. I played on his line in the Q.”

“Jack,” Mr. Wyatt said, holding a hand out to shake. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too, sir,” he said.

“Well,” Mr. Wyatt said. “There’s fresh ice out there for the both of you. I had a feeling that you’d show up today, so I had a net set up for you on the west end.”

Kent smiled. “Thanks. Mr. Wyatt.”

Mr. Wyatt shook his head, not wanting to accept the thanks. “No, no. Don’t thank me, Kent. Business has definitely picked up since you had your camp here. I can’t tell you how many parents have been asking me if you’re doing it again next year. There will be an increase in participants if you decide to do it again.”

Kent looked at Jack, then back at Mr. Wyatt. He wasn’t able to answer that question honestly. In a year, he could still be in Canada. If he were to hold the camp again, he’d have to wait until a little later into the year. “I’ll let you know. Just reserve a weekend for me.”

“Anytime you need,” he said. He looked up and saw a few people head toward the skate rental counter. “Well, I’ll let you two get to it.”

“Thanks,” Kent said. He led the way down to the west side of the rink and saw the net already set up. He sat down on the bench at the nearest rink entrance and pulled out his skates. “You didn’t bring your pads too, did you?” he asked.

“I did. But I left those in the hotel.”

“Right,” Kent said. Of course Jack brought his pads. Jack was meeting with teams after this short detour. He needed to have everything ready to workout and show them what he could do. “Are we running drills or are we just playing one on one until we pass out?”

“I’m not gonna pass out,” Jack said.

“I might,” Kent replied. He finished lacing up and grabbed a stick and pucks. He tossed the pucks onto the ice and was glad to see that Mr. Wyatt was keeping everyone else on the other side of the rink. “How hard are you planning on going, right now?”

“Not very. I just want to skate. Shoot. I can’t check you since you’re not wearing pads.”

“Thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome. Maybe we can play with your friends once they’re done with school.”

Kent laughed. “Jack. Playing with my friends is different from playing with your almost drafted friends.” He felt out of their league when he scrimmaged with them the first time. Jack would feel the complete opposite. His friends’ skills didn’t compare.

Jack shrugged. “They had to be good if you played with them and it got you scouted.”

“Not the same thing,” he said with a laugh.

Jack watched Kent before nodding. “You could just say you don’t want me to meet your friends,” he said. He skated to the nearest puck and took a shot on goal. “I know I’m… not the most sociable.”

“It’s not that, Jack,” Kent said. “They're in school. They still have finals. And…” He skated to a puck and took a shot on goal. “I don’t know how much I have in common with them anymore.”

“They're still your friends,” Jack said.

“Yeah. But they aren't you. And you’re here. Not them. So.” Kent sent a puck toward Jack and smirked as he one timed it right into the goal. “If you really want to meet them, I’ll text them and we’ll do something after finals are done.” As soon as he finished talking, Jack sent a puck his way and Kent took a shot on goal, missing wide.

“Really,” Jack said.

“You, hush,” Kent said with a laugh. “It’s been a busy couple of weeks. I’ll get my shot back.”

The two of them skated around and shot on goal until the arena started to fill up with people. Once that happened the two of them just started skating around. A few little kids that had attended Kent's weekend came up to him and hugged him hoping Kent remembered them.

At around four his classmates actually filtered into the arena. They were surprised to see Kent there, but they were glad that he was. They had their supplies and equipment and we're ready to skate around. Kent looked at the time. Even though he wanted to skate around with them, he realized it was getting late and he had to get his mom. He also didn't want to be driving Jack back to the hotel through traffic.

They set up a day that they could all scrimmage after finals and before graduation.

Jack and Kent got to the car and Kent drove him to the hotel Jack was staying. Luckily it wasn’t too far from Sebastian’s so he could drop Jack off and then pick his mom up after she closed up shop.

Kent parked in front of the hotel. He opened his door and waited for Jack to do the same. But he didn’t. He shut his door again. “Jack?”

“Can I see you tomorrow?” Jack asked, hopeful.

Kent felt his cheeks warm up. He nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Do you want me to come get you or do you want me to meet you somewhere?”

“Can I text you to let you know what my parents are doing when I find out?”

“Yeah. You have my number.”

“I do,” Jack said. He leaned over and kissed Kent on the corner of his lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jack got out of the car and grabbed his things before Kent could react. He headed toward the entrance of the hotel and wave to Kent before heading inside.

Kent took a moment to cool down before going to pick up his mom. He wasn’t waiting outside long before his mom got into the car.

She looked at Kent and smiled, reaching over to cup his cheek. “Skated hard, baby?” she said. “Your cheeks are still a little pink.”

The smirk on his mom’s face told him that it was supposed to be a chirp.

The next day, Kent met Jack at Sebastian’s. Skating was not on the itinerary for the day. Jack and Kent toured the city since Jack hadn’t really been around New York for anything other than hockey.

Kent dragged Jack along to see Iron Man since there was almost no line in the theater. They just bought a large popcorn to share and each got a large Icee.

The movie was fun. Jack even seemed to be enjoying himself.

While the movie was playing, Kent couldn’t help but wonder if this was considered a date. It was just the two of them sitting in the back of the theatre. There were timestheir would hands brush whenever they both reached for popcorn. More times than not, Jack's hand would linger.

Halfway through the movie, Jack put his arm around Kent’s shoulder and pulled him close to kiss him on his temple.

Date.

Between two teammates.

Kent really needed to stop trying to put a label on what he and Jack were and just focus on the movie. He did the best he could while leaning into Jack as his teammate pulled him close.

After the movie, Kent checked his phone and saw that one of his classmates had texted him. “Are you doing anything tonight?” he asked Jack after texting something back.

“Just going back to the hotel and waiting for mom and dad to come back from whatever they’re doing.”

Kent nodded and sent another text to Drew before looking at Jack. “Do you want to come hang out with me and my friends tonight?”

“And do what?”

Kent shrugged. “Just hang out. He has a pool table. And a pool.”

“You don’t have to bring me along. They’re your friends.”

“Jack,” Kent said. “Come on. It’ll be fun. It beats you hanging out in a hotel room all by yourself.”

“You sure you don’t want to hang out with your friends without me?”

“I’m sure. I already asked Drew if you could come and he said yes.” Kent looked at Jack and saw that he was still hesitant. “I promise that there is a zero percent chance that we’ll get into a fight. With each other or other people.”

“I won’t go into the pool.”

“That’s fine,” Kent said with a smile. “We’ll head over after we pick mom up from the shop and drop her home. Is that okay?” He watched Jack take his phone out to probably tell his parents what he’d be doing.

“Sure.”

They picked up his mom, then stayed at home for a few hours to help make dinner before heading to Drew’s. When they got there, they saw a few cars parked along the street. He headed straight to the back and saw there were about twenty people already there.

Kent looked over and saw Jack already felt out of place. He leaned over and nudged him. “Just say the word and I’ll make something up and we head back to my place and eat chicken marsala.”

“Kent.”

“I mean it, Jack,” Kent said. Jack nodded and Kent led the way as he greeted Drew and the rest of his classmates. He introduced Jack and watched as his classmates came up to introduce themselves to him.

“You drinking tonight, Kent?” Drew asked, offering him a cup.

Kent waved him off. “I’m good. I gotta drive Jack to his hotel later. But, Jack?” he asked, looking at him. He gave him a look to tell him he didn’t need to if he didn’t want to drink.

“I think I’m okay,” Jack said.

Drew shrugged. “Cool. Well, if you want anything, it’s there.”

“Thank you,” Jack said.

“You're welcome. Canadians are so polite,” Drew replied. “How did an asshole like you become such good friends with a polite guy like this one, Kent?”

“Shut the hell up, Drew.”

“Proving my point there, Ken Doll.” He then turned to greet the small group of people that walked in.

Kent walked to the cooler and grabbed two ginger ales. He sat down and Jack sat next to him. “You good?”

Jack nodded, taking the can from Kent. “These are your friends.”

“Don’t hold it against me,” Kent said with a laugh, opening his soda and taking a sip.

“I wouldn’t,” Jack said. “They’re nice.”

Kent turned to look at Jack and saw him watching all of his friends around the pool drinking and laughing. He would’ve asked Jack what he was thinking, but he wouldn’t have received any helpful reply.

Throughout the night, his classmates would come over and talk to the two of them. They’d ask Jack and him about playing hockey. Kent smiled behind his soda can every time Jack would give very practiced, but honest answers.

Kent’s classmates would then talk about the colleges they got into and what they were doing over the summer before leaving. Kent realized just how different their lives had become in just one year.

If he hadn’t gone to Canada to play hockey, he’d be feeling the same sort of tentative excitement about going to college. He’d be talking about majors and minors.

Jack wouldn’t be sitting next to him.

He had changed. His friends had changed too. They were talking about dorming. He and Jack were talking about the possibility of signing NHL contracts.

He would be playing hockey as a career.

He’d probably be playing hockey until he retired.

And then what?

That was terrifying to think about.

And he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

He thought about it up until about one in the morning when Jack nudged him. “You ready to head out?” Kent asked.

Jack nodded, sliding his phone back into his pocket. “Mom and dad are on their way back to the hotel.”

“Let’s get you back then,” Kent said. He gathered up their empty cans and put them in the recycling bin before heading over to say bye to Drew.

“You’re leaving already?” Drew asked.

“Yeah,” Kent said. “I gotta get Jack back to the hotel.”

Drew nodded. “Cool. Thanks for coming,” he said to the both of them. “If you want, we can all get together and play some pick up games. We’ll all be free after graduation. I know we won’t compare to you Juniors players,” he said with a wink.

“Shut up, Boston U,” Kent said with a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah,” Drew said. “Why don’t…” He looked over his shoulder and glared at their friend Tim. “I swear to God, Tim. If you play that song one more time.”

“Don’t swear to God, you asshole. It’s a sin.”

“It is not a sin, and I don’t want to hear Alicia Keys playing for the hundredth time. It’s already our prom song.”

“Kiss me like you’ll never see me again,” Tim sang-yelled at him.

Drew rolled his eyes, but smiled. “He may have had a little bit to drink,” he said with a laugh. “You sure you’re good to drive?”

“I was just drinking soda.”

“You still sure about Saturday. I know we can get both of you guys in if you want.”

Kent looked at Jack standing by the gate, ready to leave. “I’m good, man. Just hit me up after and we’ll all do something.”

Drew threw his arms around Kent and hugged him. “Thanks again for coming, Ken Doll. We’ve missed you.”

Kent laughed and hugged Drew, patting him on his back. “I’ve missed you too. Now, I gotta go.” He pulled away from his friend and quickly made his way to Jack before anyone else tried to stop him.

He drove Jack to the hotel, got a kiss, then headed home to sleep.

Kent and Jack spent the next day together at Kent’s place, swimming in his pool and just hanging out. That night, they went to Brandon’s house. There were more people there than there were at Drew's to celebrate their last day of school.

Kent brought Jack back to his hotel at almost three in the morning.

Kent didn’t see Jack the rest of the day since he had things to do with his parents.

Then came Saturday night. He helped his mom pick out a dress to wear to whatever event she was going to with the Zimmermanns. Bob and Alicia had stopped at his house to pick up his mom and drop off Jack before five o’clock.

Kent had planned on staying in for the night. Just the two of them. They could swim, watch movies, or play video games. It was pretty much what they’d been doing at his friends house, but now it was just them. Jack seemed to like the plan.

An hour into their Wii session, Kent sat back on his couch with a remote strapped to his wrist and bowled a strike. He smiled an unearned confident smile. It dropped when he saw Jack staring at the screen with way too much intensity. “Jack?” he asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

Jack reached up and grabbed his wrist. “Where are your friends?” he asked when he let go.

“What do you mean?” Kent asked. He took the wristband off.

“The past two nights, we’ve gone out to see them. But, not tonight. And you graduate in two days. Wouldn’t you want to spend your time with your classmates? But, no. You’re here alone.”

“I’m not alone. I have you.”

“That still doesn’t answer my original question.”

Kent furrowed his brow as he tried to think of what the original question actually was. “Oh,” he said when he finally remembered. “They’re at prom, right now.” Jack stared at him with a confused look on his face. “You know what prom is, right?”

“Of course I know what prom is.”

“Did… did you not go to yours?”

“I was back in Canada by the time the school I went to had theirs,” he said, shaking his head to not want to think about it. “Why aren’t you at yours?”

“Because even though I’m technically a student there, I’m really not. I wasn’t allowed to go, which is fine.” He shrugged once. “It’d feel weird.”

“Why? You don’t like dancing?”

“I love dancing,” Kent said. “But I don’t really know my classmates anymore. It’s supposed to be like the last big thing as a class, but I didn't do the things they did this year. They have all these inside jokes. They’re all dating each other. They all know what colleges they’re going to next year.”

“But they’re your friends.”

“You’re my friend too, you know,” he said.

“Kent,” Jack said.

Kent sighed. Jack obviously wasn’t going to let it go. “I was invited. They were allowed to bring someone and a few of my friends wanted to bring me. I told them you were gonna be here and they were willing to bring you too.”

“I wouldn’t have gone,” Jack said.

“I know,” he said. “I went to Junior Prom. It was more formal. I looked ridiculous in a tux. But it was fun. This…” He turned to look at Jack. “It didn’t feel like I had to be there.”

“It didn't have anything to do with me?” Jack asked.

“It had… something to do with you,” he said, dropping his gaze. “But not in the way you think.”

“You gonna tell me how?”

“Of course not,” Kent said with a smile. He stood up and stretched. “So. There’s a pool outside. We have movies and video games. We have fifty dollars to order pizza or Chinese food or whatever you want. What do you want to do?”

Jack stood up, leaned in, and kissed Kent on his lips. “That.”

Kent smiled. “You want to just kiss me all night?”

“Is that bad?”

It wasn’t. “No,” Kent said. “But there has to be other things you want to do to fill the time. Our parents are gonna be out until at least like 2.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure something out, Kenny.”

“Whatever you say, Zimms.”

They played a few more games of Wii bowling before ordering some Italian food to be delivered. It was going to take an hour to get to them, so Kent suggested the pool. Jack had forgotten to pack his swim trunks so they just decided to watch a movie instead.

The food arrived halfway through _Stardust_. They didn’t immediately start eating as Jack was intent on finishing the movie.

By the time the movie ended, the two of them had lost what little appetite they had.

“You want to watch another movie?” Kent asked.

“Not really.”

“You tired?”

“No,” Jack said.

“You gonna give me a hint about what you want to do next?” Kent asked. “Or are we playing twenty questions?”

Jack stood up and instead of heading into the kitchen for the food, he went down the hallway and toward Kent’s room.

Kent watched him for a minute, thinking that Jack was going to come back, but he didn’t. He stood up and walked to his room. He saw Jack standing at his desk, looking at all of his pictures. “Jack?”

Jack turned to face Kent. “These were your friends,” he said. “They are your friends.”

“They’re teammates.”

“They’re your friends too, Kenny,” Jack said. “You went to school with them. You went to the mall with them. You jumped into pools with them.”

“Jack.”

“I can’t remember the last time I hung out with someone without having hockey involved.”

“You hung out with me and Konani all the time back in Rimouski,” he said.

“I don’t know if that counts.”

“That counts,” Kent said, stepping forward. He walked up to Jack and took his hand. He gave it a light squeeze before letting go. “Our team picture is going right there,” he said pointing off to the side of the most recent team picture he had.

He looked at the pictures that were on his desk and on his wall. There was space for a picture of him and Jack. He just wondered if they’d ever take one together.

Kent sucked in a breath and looked down when Jack took his hand. He didn’t let go. “Jack?” he said softly.

“Thanks, Kenny,” he said. “For being my friend.”

Kent didn’t feel like he Jack needed to thank him for something like that. Kent was going to roll his eyes, but he stopped himself because of how sincere Jack sounded. “No problem, Jack,” he said. He kissed him on his cheek. Apparently that wasn’t enough for Jack.

Jack pulled Kent closer so he could kiss him in his lips. He held him there until he had to pull back to catch his breath. He reached up to brush his fingers through Kent’s cowlick. He then let out a deep sigh. “Kenny.”

Kent swallowed hard and looked into Jack's eyes. He licked his lips before speaking. “What… what’s going on in your head, Jack?” he said softly.

Jack let go of Kent’s hand and took a step back. “Nothing.”

Kent frowned. He pushed too hard. “Jack,” he said. “It’s okay. It’s me.” He clenched his hand into a fist so he couldn’t give into temptation to reach out and grab Jack’s hand again.

Jack stared at Kent for a second before looking away to stare at Kent’s bed. He then looked back at Kent. “I…”

Kent had been following Jack’s eyes. Bed. And him. Was Jack really thinking what Kent thought he was thinking?

Sometimes he wished he could read Jack’s mind so silences like this wereeaser to handle and understand. He took Jack’s hand and led him to his bed. He pushed Jack to sit on the edge of the bed. “One minute,” he said.

Jack looked up at Kent who stood between his legs. “One minute to what?”

“Just talk,” Kent said. “Spill your guts if you want. Just talk about whatever is on your mind. And once the minute is done, we don’t have to bring it up again.”

“What if it takes more than a minute?”

“The minute lasts however long you want it to.”

“That’s not how time works, Kenny,” Jack said with a short laugh.

“That’s what I said. But, it works. Just a minute to be real.” He stared at Jack and saw that Jack wasn’t going to say anything. “You don’t have to, you know.”

Jack licked his lips and just watched Kent for a minute. Then a little longer. “I want you,” he said softly.

Kent blinked a few times. “I… okay,” he said as softly. He bit his lip because he was supposed to just listen as Jack spoke.

“I…” Jack dragged his hand down his face. “These weeks without you have been tougher than I thought they would be. Because I missed kissing you. Or just touching you. Or having you close.”

“I’ve missed you too, Jack,” Kent said. But he hasn’t had time to dwell on it the same way Jack has. He’d been busy since he landed back in New York. The phone calls and texts were enough for him.

He climbed into Jack’s lap, facing him. He sucked in a breath as Jack wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close.

His eyes went wide when he was sure he felt something pressing up against him between his legs. He looked down and saw a bulge between Jack’s legs pressing up against his own that was much more obvious in his basketball shorts.

He looked up and saw Jack looking down too.

“Kenny.”

“I’m sorry,” Kent said, trying to scoot back, but Jack only tightened his hold.

“Don’t,” Jack said. “Don’t… don’t apologize.” He cupped Kent’s cheek and pulled him close to kiss him again. The kiss was shorter than the one a few minutes ago. He sighed and looked at Kent when he pulled back. “The minute is over. What now?”

Kent had no idea. He was in Jack’s lap. He couldn’t really think of where to go from there. “I…” He bit his bottom lip. “I want you too.” He wasn’t sure if they were on the same page or not.

“Kenny,” Jack said. “You don’t have to say that just because I did.”

“I’m not,” Kent said. “You know I wouldn’t do that.” He scooted his hips forward and kissed Jack one more time. “Are you sure?” he asked once he sat back. “This… you’re sure?”

“I just want you, Kenny. I want you close. I want to keep kissing you. I...”

“You want more,” Kent said.

“Yes,” Jack said softly. But he didn’t seem embarrassed. Just unsure and waiting to see if Kent was on the same page.

Kent took in a breath and held it for a second before letting his entire body deflate. He needed a second to decide if this was what he really wanted. He looked at Jack and looked at the position he was in and he knew.

He would have been lying if he said he hadn’t thought about these sorts of things before Jack brought it up. He liked Jack. Jack was important to him in so many ways. “Okay.” He put a hand on Jack’s chest to keep either of them from moving. He needed to get this out before they went any further. “One thing.”

“What?”

“You have to talk to me the entire time. Well, not the entire time. But you can’t go radio silent on me, okay? If there’s something. Anything. Anything makes you uncomfortable or becomes too much you tell me and we take a lap, okay?” He wasn’t going to let this ruin them.

Jack nodded. “Okay. But you have to do the same thing.”

“Of course,” Kent said. “I will.” He settled in Jack’s lap before grabbing the hem of his own shirt and pulling it up and over his head. He held his breath when Jack put a hand on his chest. “What… what are we gonna do?”

“I don’t know,” Jack said. “I… didn’t really think this through.”

“We don’t have to do anything else, Jack. We can just sit here, making out all night.”

“You took your shirt off,” Jack said, looking at Kent’s chest.

“I’ve done it before in front of you.”

“But this is different and you know it.”

“Yeah,” Kent said softly. He leaned forward to kiss Jack. He sighed, then smiled. “Take the lead, Jack. I’ll follow your lead.”

“You always do.”

“Haven’t steered me wrong yet.”

Jack sighed softly. “You put a lot of faith in me, Kenny.”

“Well deserved.” Kent climbed off of Jack’s lap and stood in front of him. He kicked off his basketball shorts, leaving him in his boxers. “How do I look?” he said with an eyebrow raised. He wanted to lighten the mood.

Jack looked up and smiled. “You look good, Kenny.” He stood up and took his shirt off. “You always look good.”

“You can’t really say that when you look like…” Kent gestured to Jack’s entire body. “That.”

“I didn’t always look like this.”

Kent knew that Jack had some embarrassment about how he used to look before they met. Kent always tried his best to be encouraging. Jack was good looking. He didn’t want Jack to dwell on the past when he looked so good now. “I’m sure I would’ve liked you back then too,” he said.

“You didn’t like me when we first met.”

“I had to warm up to you,” Kent said. “Canada can be kinda cold sometimes. You had to warm up to me too.” He moved and sat down on the edge of his bed. He watched as Jack pulled down his jeans, leaving him in his own boxers. “Jack?” he asked softly.

“Yes?”

“You sure about this?”

Jack walked up to Kent and gently pushed him to lie down on his bed. Jack climbed on top of Kent, and bent forward to kiss him. “Yeah,” he said pulling his lips an inch away from Kent’s. “Are you?”

Kent reached up to cup Jack’s cheek. He looked into Jack’s eyes and just held his gaze. For the last few months, Jack had been the only person on his mind.

Jack was the only person he’d kissed in the last six months.

Jack was the only person Kent wanted to be kissing.

It made sense to want more than that with him.

“Yeah,” he said softly. It was the most sure he’d been about anything in his short life. He shut his eyes as Jack bent down to kiss him one more time. He shivered as he felt Jack’s hand on his thigh, then slowly move toward the center of his body.

He opened his eyes to see Jack looking down at him and smirking.

But he was waiting.

Kent nodded once.

He sucked in a sharp breath as Jack slid his thumb into the waistband of Kent’s boxers. He didn’t break eye contact as Jack slid his boxers down. He shivered as Jack wrapped a shaky hand around his cock.

Kent cupped Jack’s cheek and pulled him down to kiss him again. It seemed to be enough to spur Jack on. He squirmed as Jack’s hand moved up and down his cock once.

Jack lifted away to look at Kent, and Kent opened his eyes to stare up at Jack. He was aware of just how his chest moved as he tried to catch his breath. “Don’t you dare fucking stop,” he said the second he was able.

“Wouldn't dream of it,” Jack said. He let go of Kent’s cock for a second.

“Jack!”

Jack laughed and kissed Kent on his lips before sitting up. “Lube. We need lube.”

Kent felt his cheeks warm up. Of course they did. He rolled over, reached into his nightstand, and pulled out a bottle. Jack was smirking. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m a teenage boy.”

“So am I,” Jack said, taking the bottle and pouring some lube into his hand. “Get those boxers off.”

Kent kicked them off and moved to lie back down.

He shut his eyes and smiled when Jack wrapped his fingers around his cock again and started slowly moving his hand. “Fuck…”

After a couple of hours, and a couple of blow and hand jobs, the two of them collapsed on the bed, exhausted. They were sweaty and sticky, and all they really wanted to do was sleep.

Kent whined as Jack moved him around so that he was the little spoon. He wasn’t going to fight him for a change of position. He just wanted to sleep. He yawned as Jack pulled him close.

Jack kissed the back of Kent’s neck, then wrapped his arm around Kent’s waist. “I’m falling asleep,” he said softly.

“Me too,” Kent said, fading.

“Can I stay like this?”

Kent smiled. “Yeah.” He was comfortable. He felt Jack let out a deep sigh against the back of his neck and he thought that Jack was asleep. He shut his eyes, ready to join him.

Jack pulled Kent closer. “My parents are renting a house in Rimouski for the year,” he said softly.

“Oh.” Kent figured something like that would happen. He knew the Zimmermanns wanted to be close. Especially since it was most likely Jack’s last year in Juniors. “That’s cool of them.”

Kent tried his best to sound happy. He was still going to be living with the DeChambeaus. Hopefully Jack would be nearby. And he’d still see him every day for practices.

Jack pulled Kent close and kissed Kent on the back of his neck. He let out a yawn before moving a bit to settle in. “Do you want to stay with us?”

Kent tensed in Jack’s hold. He relaxed as Jack's hand moved up and down his abs. “I…”

“You don’t have to. You can stay with the DeChambeaus if you want. But, it’s an offer,” he said. He stilled his hand, waiting.

“Whatever you want, Jack,” Kent said softly.

“I want you to come live with us,” he murmured.

Kent could tell Jack was fading. He was doing the same, but he needed to get the words out before he fell asleep. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I’ll go wherever you want.”

He fell asleep while Jack’s hand continued to move up and down his abs.

Kent woke up when he heard his door close. He wanted to go check on it, but he felt the arm around his waist tighten. He felt Jack’s breath on the back of his neck. He was deep asleep.

Kent wasn’t moving from his bed any time soon.

He was more than okay with it.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr at zimmboniandbitty.


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